On Monday, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith was arrested after a grand jury indicted him on six misdemeanor counts related to hiring deputies who were not certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC), as required by state law for law enforcement positions.

Smith described the action taken by District Attorney Bill Adair as “lawfare” being waged against him.

Chief Deputy Ralph Williams was also indicted and arrested on a single misdemeanor charge for allegedly providing false information to the state’s police certification commission.

RELATEd: Walker County Sheriff indicted and arrested for hiring uncertified deputies

CBS 42 reported that during a press conference announcing the charges against Smith, District Attorney Bill Adair stated that the charges could result in up to three months in jail and a $500 fine for each count.

Sheriff Smith accused Adair of targeting him to benefit J.C. Poe, the Jasper Police Chief who is reportedly running against him in the 2026 election.

Smith’s attorney, Thomas Carmichael, wrote, “it is the belief of Sheriff Smith that the District Attorney has purposely misstated/overstated the penalty for the charges against the Sheriff for the express purpose of negatively influencing potential voters in the upcoming election.”

The news outlet also reported that Adair responded by saying the sheriff was living in an “alternate reality.”

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].