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7 counties could choose a felon for sheriff

Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 12:01pm

At least Barney Fife had one bullet:

Hege is running for sheriff again, but there is a catch: State law prohibits a convicted felon, including Hege, from carrying a weapon.

“There’s no general statute that I’m aware of that requires a sheriff to carry a firearm. The president of the United States don’t carry one. The governor don’t carry one, so I don’t think one sheriff not carrying one is going to upset anybody," he said.

"Doesn't" carry one, Gerald. Even if you can't carry a gun, at least you should go armed with decent verbal skills.

Here are the other felons running for sheriff across our apparently very forgiving state:

In Avery County, candidate Robert Nub Taylor was convicted of obstruction of justice as a clerk of court.

McDowell County’s Mark Stewart and Cleveland County candidate David Morrow each have felony drug convictions.

Wilkes County candidate Willie Tharpe has a felony conviction for receiving stolen goods.

Former Washington County Sheriff Stanley James was convicted of embezzling, but is running this year in an effort to reclaim the position.

Ryan White, a candidate for sheriff in Dare County, has pending felony drug charges in two counties.

I'm laughing through my tears on this one.

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Comments

Bass-ackwards

Submitted by loftT on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 12:54pm.

Most felons in this state can't get a job at all much less a job overseeing other felons. NC is very forgiving of some felons.

Progressives are the true conservatives.

But do they have to carry papers?

Submitted by usernamehere on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 1:23pm.

But can the felon-sheriffs provide their birth certificates or just their release papers?

And will they have to carry them on their person?

Or only if it's not open carry and not concealed carry.

So many things to figure out!

 

S.B. 351

Submitted by Phillip Gilfus on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 4:59pm.

It's always a delicate issue when attempting to limit the employment possibilities of convicted felons. As a criminal attorney, I see individuals make very unwise decisions, but these decisions should not ruin the rest of their lives. However, at the same time, felonies are designed to follow you the rest of your life; that's part of the punishment for committing a crime that rises to the level of a felony.

All that being said, I have to agree with the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association which is lobbying in support of S.B. 351, No Felon as Sheriff bill. This bill is, in effect, an amendment to the state constitution. I know my sheriff, Earl "Moose" Butler, is a strong proponent of the bill, and I stand by him. Here's more information from the N.C. Sheriffs' Association about it: http://www.news-record.com/blog/61601/entry/85505

Here is the full text of the proposed bill:

1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TO PROVIDE
3 THAT NO PERSON CONVICTED OF A FELONY IS ELIGIBLE TO BE ELECTED
4 SHERIFF.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6 SECTION 1. Section 2 of Article VII of the Constitution of North Carolina reads
7 as rewritten:
8 "Sec. 2. Sheriffs.
9 In each county a Sheriff shall be elected by the qualified voters thereof at the same time and
10 places as members of the General Assembly are elected and shall hold his office for a period of
11 four years, subject to removal for cause as provided by law. No person is eligible to serve as
12 Sheriff if that person has been adjudged guilty of any felony against this State or the United
13 States, or of a felony in another state that also would be a felony if it had been committed in
14 this State, whether or not that person has been restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner
15 prescribed by law."
16 SECTION 2. The amendment set out in this act shall be submitted to the qualified
17 voters of the State at the statewide general election on November 2, 2010, which election shall
18 be conducted under the laws then governing elections in the State. Ballots, voting systems, or
19 both may be used in accordance with Chapter 163 of the General Statutes. The question to be
20 used in the voting systems and ballots shall be:
21 "[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST
22 Constitutional amendment providing that no person convicted of a felony may serve
23 as sheriff."
24 SECTION 3. If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the
25 constitutional amendment set out in this act, the State Board of Elections shall certify the
26 amendment to the Secretary of State. The constitutional amendment is effective upon
27 certification. The Secretary of State shall enroll the amendments so certified among the
28 permanent records of that office.