Though the votes have been counted and Victor Hill has been elected, in effect, to reclaim the office of sheriff in Clayton County despite 37 pending felony charges, he could be kept from moving into the post on Jan. 1 — by the courts or by other sheriffs in Georgia.
“This is a bizarre set of circumstances that just hasn’t happened before,” said Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.
Sills said Wednesday he expects the sheriff’s association to ask the governor to suspend Hill if he has not been tried by the end of the year. Sills said the association’s leaders have started discussions but no steps can be taken until Jan. 1, when Hill would take office.
Though Hill has only won the Democratic primary, there is no Republican on the November general election ballot.
“Victor Hill … hasn’t been elected sheriff yet and he won’t be sheriff-elect until November,” Sills said.
Also, Georgia has suspended Hill’s certification as a law enforcement officer, which state law requires all sheriffs to have.
The former homicide detective’s certification was suspended when he was indicted in January. If he takes office on Jan. 1, the law gives him six months to secure Peace Officers Standards and Training Council certification. Until then, “he can’t arrest anybody.” Sills said.
POST has said Hill would not be certified if he is under indictment. No trial date has been set.
Hill, who claimed to be the law-and-order candidate in his race against a sitting sheriff, is charged with felonies including racketeering, theft, violating his oath of office and trying to influence a witness. All the alleged crimes happened during his first term as sheriff, Jan. 1, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2008.
“It’s all a mess,” Sills said.
If the charges are unresolved on Jan. 1, Sills said, he expects the sheriffs’ association will ask Gov. Nathan Deal to appoint a panel to recommend whether Hill should be suspended from office.
Stephanie Mayfield, a Deal spokeswoman, said the governor did not “want to undermine the voters” and “it would be our hope the situation would be taken care of by January.”
If not, she said he would form a panel, which by law would be the attorney general and two sheriffs. The governor can do nothing if the panel recommends against suspension. He has discretion if it recommends suspension.
Earlier this year Deal declined to act when the sheriffs asked him to suspend a sheriff federal authorities were investigating. The governor’s executive counsel wrote, “We do not believe it is appropriate for this office to take action at this time” since there was a “possibility of suspending the sheriff who is a locally elected official.”
Wilcox County Sheriff Stacy Bloodsworth was charged with lying to the FBI, beating inmates and covering up the abuse. Bloodsworth was in office when he was charged, and he obeyed a judge’s order to resign.
Hill received almost 54 percent of the Clayton runoff votes to the 46 percent for incumbent Sheriff Kem Kimbrough, who won the office from Hill in 2008.
Hill promised to focus on crime even though in Clayton County the sheriff’s traditional role involves running the jail, protecting the courthouse and serving warrants; leaving street crimes to the various police agencies.
Hill said he told Jeff Turner, the former Clayton police chief who won the race for county commission chairman, “if any outlaws come to town all he has to do is push the button and I’m gonna come and take care of it,” a reference to his portrayal of himself as Clatyon County’s Batman.
Hill has insisted that he is innocent of the charges against him.
“I’m very confident about the case,” he said Wednesday during the Frank and Wanda In The Morning radio show on V-103.
The indictment alleges Hill used county cars and county-issued credit cards for vacations, sometimes taking along a woman on his staff who was supposed to have been at work. He also is accused of taking money from his failed 2008 re-election campaign. He could get up to 535 years in prison if he is convicted.
Hill said he was speaking on the radio show because he wanted to get out “facts I couldn’t present in other media outlets.” He did not respond to messages sent via text; the voice mail on his phone was full.
“I’m still going to be tough on criminals,” Hill said. “We’re not going to tolerate the type of lawlessness we see in Clayton County. I’m going to make sure the people who voted for law and order get law and order.”
Sills said he wasn’t surprised Hill won, despite his pending criminal charges, because of “everything I’ve read about Clayton County ever since Victor was elected the first time.
“A sheriff is no better than the community that elects him. … And they get what they deserve as long as it complies with the law.
“These laws are in place,” Sills said, “to ensure that the wrong person doesn’t get elected, that people involved in criminal activity can’t serve in this office or any office.”
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