Sheriff Says I Don't Care What You Want!!!!!!!!!

From:
The Florida Times-Union
September 5, 2007Camden sheriff donates $100,000 in drug money to Atlanta college
By Gordon Jackson, The Times-Union
KINGSLAND - Camden County Sheriff Bill Smith has donated $100,000 in confiscated drug money to Georgia State University despite a policy requiring approval by the County Commission for all checks written from the account. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------

The donation to Georgia State in Atlanta was made Aug. 29, less than two weeks after commissioners filed a lawsuit to wrest control of the drug money account from Smith.
Commissioners also asked the court on Aug. 10 for a restraining order preventing Smith from spending any money from the account until a judge rules on the lawsuit. The court gave Smith 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.
While awaiting Smith's response, commissioners voted to compel Smith to follow a 1994 policy that requires two signatures on every check written on the account, Smith's and a representative of the County Commission.
Money in the account, which totaled about $1.6 million last year, is seized from suspected drug dealers and returned to the county by state and federal authorities. Federal guidelines require the money be used for law enforcement purposes.
Commissioner Katherine Zell said last weeks' scholarship announcement was surprising because of the pending lawsuit.
"I just don't know why he wants to continue to thumb his nose at us," she said. "It disappoints me about Sheriff Smith's lack of professionalism."
Commissioner David Rainer also questioned Smith's decision to spend money from the account before the court decides the issue.
"Until this dispute is resolved, the rules should be followed," Rainer said. "Whether he is right or wrong, the court will decide."
But Lt. William Terrell, the sheriff's spokesman, said the donation was planned long before commissioners filed their lawsuit to take control of the account containing seized drug money.
"These scholarships have helped many local students fulfill the dream of a college education," Terrell said in a written response. "[The] sheriff believes that establishing these scholarships is one of the best possible ways of putting drug dealers' money to good use."
Regardless of how long the donation had been planned, Commission Chairman Preston Rhodes said Smith's decision to award the money was "inappropriate" until the lawsuit is resolved.
"I was really surprised because it [the issue] is part of a pending lawsuit," he said.
Rhodes also questioned if the money could have been used in a way that would positively impact more county residents.
"When you look at the amount and the number of people this [donation] affected, the money could have been used to benefit more people from Camden County," Rhodes said.
It's apparent, Commissioner Steve Berry said, that Smith "doesn't want to abide by any rules" established by commissioners when they transferred control of the account to the sheriff 13 years ago.
"We cut his budget to $7 million a year and he says he's broke, yet on the other hand he's got $100,000 to give away when it's questioned if he has the authority to do so," Berry said. "We filed a lawsuit to enforce the policy. It shows his arrogance."
gordon.jackson@jacksonville.com,
(912) 729-3672


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