Director of the Alabama Department of Transportation John Cooper was arrested and briefly jailed Monday on harassment charges in Marshall County.
Cooper, 75, turned himself in to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office around noon after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Sheriff Phil Sims confirmed that Cooper was booked into the Marshall County Jail at 11:53 a.m. on charges of harassment and intimidation. Jail records indicate he posted a $500 bond and was released at 12:35 p.m.
According to the Sand Mountain Reporter, Chief Deputy Willie Orr said a warrant against Cooper was issued for harassment – a misdemeanor charge – possibly connected to a property line dispute Cooper was in with a neighbor near Langston.
Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kay Ivey, referred to a statement from Barnett & Jolley, a law firm in Guntersville, which stated they were representing Cooper in his personal capacity.
“This morning (Monday), Mr. Cooper directed me to file a complaint for declaratory judgement cause of action in Marshall County Circuit Court regarding a land dispute with a neighbor who is falsely claiming an easement on Mr. Cooper’s property,” said the statement, signed by attorney George Barnett. “The clearest legal path to resolving this matter is to have the Court determine whether an easement exists, and we look forward to resolving this matter.”
RELATED: Judge halts bridge project, accuses ALDOT chief of bad faith
Cooper has been serving as the transportation director for ALDOT since 2011.
Prior to that, Cooper had a significant career in the corporate sector. He was the CEO of a Huntsville technology company until 2008 and has worked as a senior executive in the Huntsville area since the 1990s.
His arrest comes in the wake of a recent legal setback for Cooper as transportation director.
Last month, State Judge Jimmy Pool released an 80-page order accusing Cooper of acting in bad faith and intentionally attempting to put a private company out of business while concealing his efforts from the public.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
