Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that he has begun proceedings for the impeachment of Clarke County Sheriff William Ray Norris.
This comes after the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division on April 27 filed an Information of Impeachment and Prayer for Ouster in the Alabama Supreme Court pursuant to state code. It should be noted that the information is merely an accusation, and Norris is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty — at which time he would be removed from office.
Norris was reportedly served notice of the impeachment filing on Friday.
According to a press release, the Attorney General’s Office began investigating this matter in early 2020, resulting in the decision to seek Norris’ removal from office. The sheriff was charged with four instances of corruption in office and eleven instances of the commission of crimes involving moral turpitude. However, some of the specific allegations are alternate forms of charging the same conduct.
Norris was first elected in 2010 and has twice since been reelected. He will be up for reelection again next year. Norris has served as second vice president on the Alabama Sheriffs Association board.
The charges against Norris can be viewed here.
Under the Alabama Constitution, the Supreme Court will consider the charges against Norris. By statute, both the State and Norris may present evidence and compel witnesses to testify before the Court at trial. The Court has ordered Norris to appear before the Court and answer the charges at 2:00 p.m. on June 2.
Any possible criminal proceedings must be brought separately.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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