Sheriff Tyrone Clark of Sumter County was removed from office by the Alabama Supreme Court which found him guilty of corruption in office and willful neglect of duty in an impeachment hearing, reported the Montgomery Advertiser.
Clark was elected sheriff in 2011 and many of the allegations against him centered on his relationship with inmate Rodney Coats, who authorities said was granted special privileges beyond his "trustee" status at the county jail, noted the Advertiser.
Authorities charged that Coats was allowed in an unsupervised area in the administration building, where the prisoner had a laptop that allowed him to monitor his outside drug operations along with other perks, according to the newspaper.
One woman charged she was sexually assaulted by Coats and other detention officers in a trailer "controlled" by Coats, noted the Advertiser. She claimed she was forced to bring drugs to Coats and that the trailer was equipped with surveillance cameras that could be viewed from Coats' laptop, per the newspaper.
"Justice has been served," Alabama attorney general Luther Strange said in a statement Wednesday. "Alabamians rightfully expect their public officials to conduct their duties of office honestly and in accordance with the law. When public officials are also sworn to uphold the law, as in the case of a sheriff, there is an even higher expectation that they will abide by their oath."
Strange said possible criminal charges against Clark would have to be brought separately from the impeachment hearing by the Supreme Court.
"I am proud of the men and women of the attorney general's special prosecutions division in securing the impeachment of Sheriff Clark," Strange said. "Public corruption is a top priority of my office."
Clark's attorney, Chad Morgan, told AL.com that the former sheriff was trying to determine his next steps.
"Our client believes it was a manifestation of dirty politics," Morgan said.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will appoint a new sheriff for Sumter County.
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