SENECA — Seneca Police Chief Stanley Sheriff’s troubles with the law officially ended Thursday evening when solicitor Tricia Leeman dropped shoplifting charges in a Toccoa, Ga., courtroom.
Sheriff stood accused of attempting to leave a Wal-Mart in Toccoa with a camera and camera accessories without paying April 2. Sheriff’s defense was a claim of short-term memory loss due to a minor stroke. He has said he has no memory of his trip to Toccoa or what allegedly occurred inside the Wal-Mart.
He has been on medical leave with the city of Seneca since the incident. Mayor Dan Alexander, who appointed Sheriff to the job, said he did not know of the police chief’s court appearance until being informed by media outlets.
“I had heard before that it may get resolved,” Alexander said. “But I had no idea it was going to be (Thursday) night.”
Apparently, neither did Sheriff, who said Friday he had no idea what the purpose of the hearing was until the prosecutor took her action.
“We were notified by the prosecutor’s office that there would be a hearing at 4:30 p.m. and that it could last until possibly 8 o’clock,” Sheriff said. “It was very much a last minute type thing. I had been looking forward to attending the arraignment for some time. We had that in mind when we walked in that courtroom.”
Julian Stoudemire, Sheriff’s attorney in Seneca, was not at the hearing. Andy Dowdy, Sheriff’s Georgia attorney told the court that his client had fully cooperated with investigators, at which point, charges were dismissed, Stoudemire said.
“My understanding is the action was dismissed after reviewing all of the evidence including medical evidence that Mr. Sheriff had a stroke,” he said.
The dismissal of charges brings to an end what Sheriff admitted was an unexpectedly long legal proceeding. During that time, Sheriff was generally unavailable to the media.
When asked about his silence, he stated he has had five different doctors involved in treating his medical problems and that he also was not able to provide comments because of the ongoing legal investigation. Sheriff said he was anxious from the outset to get proceedings under way.
“We had been going through this every single day since April 2,” he said. “The prosecutor (Leeman) impressed me last night in the knowledge she had accumulated. It was very evident that she did her job in this case. A lot of times the wheels of justice move slowly, but they do move.”
According to Sheriff, Leeman said in light of medical evidence of Sheriff’s stroke, as well as evidence provided by Wal-Mart, she did not believe her case was prosecutable. Sheriff said he made a trip to Emory University for medical reasons just two weeks ago, and that may have been the final piece of information Leeman needed before making her decision.
“She said she did not believe she had a prosecutable case, and the judge agreed, and it was over just that quick,” Sheriff said. “You can imagine my astonishment.”
Sheriff remains on medical leave from the Seneca Police Department. Sheriff said he understands the precautions the city must take to ensure that he is medically well and fit to perform the duties of police chief. Alexander said no decision has been made concerning Sheriff’s return to work.
“We were made aware of the decision this morning,” Alexander said. “We’ve reviewed that today and I know Greg (Dietterick, city administrator) and myself have been looking into the matter. We have received the information from Stanley’s attorney, and we’re reviewing that, but as far as the official document from the court, we haven’t seen it. At this time we’re still addressing it as a personnel issue.”
Sheriff said he is feeling much better.
“I’m feeling the best now that I’ve felt in many years,” he said. “I’m doing what the doctor tells me. I’m taking the medication he’s prescribed, and it’s agreeing with me, and I’m on an exercise regimen. I walk every day. I think I’ve dropped close to 50 pounds, and I feel great.”
Sheriff said he and his family suffered an immense amount of stress during the ordeal and that he has set no timeline for returning to the force.
“We’re all very relieved this is over with,” Sheriff said. “I am looking forward to putting all of this behind me and moving on. The thing I hate the worst is that it has been so traumatic and that my family had to suffer as well.”
While relieved, Sheriff said he is also surprised.
“I’ll be honest with you, I just did not anticipate this,” he said.
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August 16, 2008
10:24 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Amazing How Julian Stoudemire And A Big Wad Of Cash Can "Grease" The Wheels Of Justice,Isn't It....
August 16, 2008
11:05 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Absolutely disgusting! I bet he does feel better after getting away with this. Or has he really gotten away with it? God will get you everytime. So watch out Stanley!
August 16, 2008
12:01 p.m.Report inappropriate content
Jsl47, people like you what makes this world like it is today “absolutely disgusting”. I find it funny how done of us seen his medical records but you “very smart” few seem to know he’s guilty and know it all. Why do we need lawyers and doctors as long as we got people like JsI47 and other’s to help us? Of course your disgusted he probably arrested you or gave you a ticket or something and you just want to get that sweet revenge. I sure the five doctors he’s got are wrong and he will always be guilty in your uneducated reasoning. I think letting people comment on here is ridiculous. I don’t like when people talk about one of my friends and a person they don’t know is why I feel It‘s time someone said something. Have any of you crazies ever called him or go sit down and tell a person to the face what you think? The answer I guess would be NO. One word, cowards. Stanley Sheriff and his family are in my prayers daily, its all in gods hands.
Oconee County have a beautiful day!
August 16, 2008
1:57 p.m.Report inappropriate content
Seneca:
Awesome.
August 16, 2008
5:38 p.m.Report inappropriate content
SENECA.....You have got to be kidding me!!!!! I have not seen his medical files or know his medical either, he is the sheriff of seneca for goodness sake!!!!!!
I have to give hime credit, he did hire the right lawyer because julian stoudemire is a briliant lawyer. He saved my butt once and all i can say is thank god for Mr. Stoudemire, the money was well worth it.
Now to mr. sheriff, how can the mayor of seneca ever think that he can put mr. sheriff back on the job after what he has done, mr. alexander has got to be crazy if he does that. Stanley Sheriff commited a crime and even though it is a misdemeanor it is still a crime, that is what shoplifting is, a crime. The state of s.c. says that if a person leaves an establishment with an item without paying for it it is called shoplifting.
All i can say is that mr. sheriff should resign and just go away and in a few years everyone will forget all about him and will have to deal with a new scandal that has come upon the up state of s.c.
August 16, 2008
10:18 p.m.Report inappropriate content
dds8892 (and others)
Yes, shop-lifting is a crime in SC, Ga and the other 48 states I suppose, but Stanley was not proven guilty, would not it be terrible society if police could charge us with any crime and we can not have our day in court to have a chance to prove our innocense? In fact the burden of proof is on the state and the Stephens Co Solictor found there was not ample evidence to prove the Chief was guilty and the judge agreed. Mr. Stoudimire that you so admire was not even present, nor were you- I bet. We have a wars going on, milk and gas fight daily to see which is higher at the our local Walmart everyday, the foodbanks are running at an all time low and our unempolyment rate has hit 7 percent, we have other things to talk about, worry about and pray about, let it go, the judge said it is over! Ye with out sin throw the first stone! Make a difference, vote, run for office, but stop the whinning about Stanley Sheriff and get a life.
August 18, 2008
8:36 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Seneca,
No, unlike Mr Sheriff, I have never been arrested! I have just as much right to my opinion as you do. So go fly a kite!!!! It's people like you that uphold their "friend" that need help.
August 18, 2008
8:49 a.m.Report inappropriate content
THIS WHOLE COUNTY IS CROOKED AS THE DAY IS LONG!!!! I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS WERE ANY MEMBER OF OUR WONDERFUL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF IT TOO. LIKE THEY SAY, "JUST GOOD OLE BOYS"
August 18, 2008
11:22 a.m.Report inappropriate content
That's right Seneca neither jsl47 or any of their family member were ever arrested.
August 18, 2008
11:29 a.m.Report inappropriate content
To God Be The Glory ~~ Great Things He Has Done!!
Take care of your health, Stanley - and about the negative comments ~~ "Father Forgive them for they know not what they say"....
No, I do not know Mr. Sherrif - however I wish him well. I do know he is a Godly man ... is that your problem with him? You seem so bitter, that load must be heavy.
August 18, 2008
1:05 p.m.Report inappropriate content
God bless you rezlep!
August 18, 2008
1:35 p.m.Report inappropriate content
citizenkane...your ranting about law enforcement makes one wonder what you're smoking or shooting. To label all law enforcement as you have is totally ridiculous. You have an engagement problem....you're engaging your mouth before you engage your brain. Do you actually feel ALL law enforecement is crooked?? Just maybe you won't ever have to need them. You need to apply for a job if you think no one is good enough...but I forgot , not everyone can do that job. One more thought....things are not perfect but where do we think we would be if you had it your way.
August 18, 2008
8:13 p.m.Report inappropriate content
According to the article, Mr. Sheriff was not found innocent or "not guilty". The prosecutor ruled the case to be "unprosecutable". That is just fancy string pulling for a lawyer to brag about. But that credit can't go to Julian Stoudemire because he isn't licensed to practice law in Georgia. He just worked the strings on the Andy Dowdy guy.
"We people" as some of "you people" refer to us do not have a personal vendetta against the law. We just know first-hand of guilty people getting off and innocent people doing time. I know of 2 men,guilty of a drug deal. Facing 10 yrs, one gets 2 1/2 yrs. The other was not arrested,then. When arrested a year later on the same charges the other gets 10 yrs.
Yes, I will admit I have been in prison in another state. While there I witnessed time after time, of people coming in that were innocent. All I had to do was read the indictment papers and the sentencing report. It tells everything. This is on the federal level, not this petty local crap so I do know what I talking about. No, I'm not some stupid redneck either. I'm worse! I'm an educated redneck. I have a college degree--a B.A.
But the point remains, if the doctors and ALL you people believe this happened to him then he needs to be relieved of his job. I do not want anyone's loved ones or mine put at risk of him having a RELAPSE with a GUN in his hand.
As Carrie Underwood's song says " Jesus Take The Wheel". Well, evidently he did on the day Sheriff drove from Toccoa or he would have killed some innocent person or family that day. So I will thank God for that 'cause I do have family and friends that live out that way.
August 19, 2008
1:37 p.m.Report inappropriate content
to reebop and others bashin the lawmen and women.i'm kinda sick of your whinnin too. yep there might be innocent folks in prison, but the law only charged them with the crime i think a jury of their peers put them as guilty and sent them to jail. and reebop since you said you had been in prison,were you guilty or did some low down rotten cop frame you... i assume you were guilty of what ever it is you did.so there for you are / were a criminal. come on people,grow up.like my pappy always told me. if you did it say you did it and man up to the consequences, not blame your dumb act off on some one else.
i got kinfolks in prison,yep i helped put them there. if they will steal from you, they will steal from me. but not just that. it's called the right thing to do or have we dropped that to the pits of hell along with other things.
i do agree tho that the city should take a hard look at sheriffs medical review before putting him back to police work.... it's the right thing to do....
August 19, 2008
10:40 p.m.Report inappropriate content
IF IT's LEGITIMATE: So the next time he has an episode he shoots somebody?? He is a risk and a liability now. They proved it.
All you cronies should be ashamed of yourselves. I smell a rat.
"And they all were slimmer and lived happily ever after..." Sickening.
FIRE HIM.
August 19, 2008
11:53 p.m.Report inappropriate content
ElihuMaxx tell me this isn’t all officers and public servants a liability? Elihu your not a doctor either am I I cant tell you he’ll go crazy but stuff can me treated for. Im not one of mr sheriffs friends and I only met him once in walhalla but I worked my whole life till I suffered medical problems. If you were in the same situation like I am. you would think different all you want to do is support your family and try to make it on what you got. Fire him is kind of harsh and hardheads like you don’t care about people anymore along your happy and people like me can go die off. People need to put yourself in anothers shoes.
August 20, 2008
7:52 a.m.Report inappropriate content
poorfarm: Here is an example of real life:
I'm not what you think I am. I was raised by fine upstanding parents. They took us to church everytime the doors were open, and prayed at home,too. I let them down, not vice versa.
When I was arrested, several other people were also. We, men and women, were all taken to one place for booking. We witnessed how federal agents threw a man to the ground and piled on him to handcuff him. This man was born with a rare spinal disease that caused great amount of pain. He asked them to put his hands in front of him instead. They refused and the downing insued. When this man came before the Superior Court Judge for a bond hearing, he was denied. He was denied because the federal agent LIED under OATH to the judge. We all sat there and heard this "agent" tell the judge "he made a vulgar statement to us, followed by several other expletives." The judge denied him bond for six months. None of those things were said until after they were on top of him and he was trying to get them to understand they were hurting him!
None of us could say a word because we still had to face the judge, too. If they would lie on this man, they would lie on one of us, too.
This is how I ended up in prison. NO,I was not guilty of my charges,my husband was, and he accepted his part. He even self-surrendered to a 10 year sentence. (Do you know of anyone else who loved their family enough to do that?) They trumped up just enough charges on me so they could take our home. I made a phone call for my husband, not knowing. That was all it took to charge me with aiding and abetting. I had never even had a ticket before.
No, my peers did not find me guilty, I did not go to trial. I could plead "not guilty", have an agent lie on me (I was told they would say I knew who I called.), and send me to prison for 5 yrs or plead "guilty" and get 8 months. That way, I only have to leave my children for 4 months and do the other 4 on home confinement. I had a 3& 4 yr old at home. So, I did what any Mother who cares would do. I left my children for the least amount of time as possible.
Now, you believe whatever you want to believe. I don't really care. My husband is coming home in the next few months. We are putting our family back together. Our children are the ones who have suffered the most. My husband admitted he did wrong and paid his debt to society. But people will never give him the second chance he deserves! Some do not learn, and they make it hard on the ones who do want to change.
August 20, 2008
8:01 a.m.Report inappropriate content
We all know that this decision was bought and that the average Joe would be serving time already. All government is corrupt that we cannot change. I don't blame Stanley I would try to cheat and lie to stay out of jail too. My concern is does Stanley still carry a weapon and will he be reinstated as a police officer. I would hate to get pulled over by him when his (medicine) wasn't working. I believe the city should retire Stanley for the public safety and he should not be able to carry a weapon. For those of you who know him personally to think this is cruel just think if it was anyone else who got caught stealing red-handed, not on video but with the live human eye. Even if it was medically explained you are still guilty. Shame on the officials who treated this different just because he was a cop. How do you think the public will react next time we're on a jury and you want a guilty verdict for the common Joe. I am ashamed to be a part of a society that let's one person slide and throws the book at another. HYPOCRISY, HYPOCRITE. Your day will come. God will judge us all and in that judgement there will be no lawyers or badge to hide behind.
August 20, 2008
8:35 a.m.Report inappropriate content
can anyone tell me why the tell willie comment section has been messed up? Sorry to change to subject, but I would really like to know.
August 20, 2008
9:06 a.m.Report inappropriate content
to reebop..if what you say is true. then i tip my hat to you and your family. when your husband turned himself in, it was the right thing to do and he has my respect for that.i understand your not saying anything at the time , but afterwards you should have told any and all. we cant root out problems if all is silent, surely someone some where would have investigated and hopefully found the truth and fired or jailed the wrong doers. it's never to late to do the right thing..only you and who ever else saw it knows the truth... hope your family can rise above the past, it's over. look to better times... god bless
August 20, 2008
10:18 a.m.Report inappropriate content
superduper...I called their office & they just transferred me to the editor for why the comment section is not there. All I got was phone mail asking me to leave a Ph. #.. which I didn't do. Maybe another call should be made.
August 20, 2008
10:19 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Thank you poorfarm. My husband got saved through all this and we are moving on to a much better life. I just wish all would give us that same assurance. God Bless you, also. It just gets hard to remain positive, and I have to ask God to forgive me, which I just did after reading your last post. Thank you, again!