« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
All Muck is Local: The Ballad of Ricky Headley
The long arm of the law is just a little too short to push Sheriff Ricky Headley from office.
A grand jury recently indicted Headley on thirty-seven drug related charges, among them twenty-one felony counts that include dispensing drugs illegally and official misconduct. That's an increase from the original indictment, which included just two counts of wearing his uniform and driving his official vehicle while illegally obtaining prescription meds. Ricky, the sheriff for Williamson County, Tennessee, is facing expulsion from his job if found guilty of a felony; his trial is set for next July.
Until then, Ricky is sitting tight as sheriff. And, much to the chagrin of locals, there's nothing anyone can do about it. In almost every case of police abuse, the accused officer is put on leave pending a resolution of his case. That would be true even for Ricky's deputies, but not Ricky himself. As an elected official, no one can make Ricky do anything (with the exception of the state attorney general, who has not signaled an interest in the case). Local officials can't force him to step down, nor can they require him to take leave from his position. They can't even take away the car in which he allegedly made his drug runs.
Ricky has pleaded not guilty on all charges and says he intends to serve out the rest of his term (until 2010). And since he is all cleaned up (Ricky spent less than a month in rehab for his addiction to prescription drugs), he sees no reason not to be back out there enforcing the law. And so far, it doesn't look like he's going to change his tune.
Nice. As a former police officer, this sort of thing drives me crazy. I don't believe that it is an indication of a much larger problem, but it clearly is a very serious problem for that community, and for law enforcement officials everywhere.
Contrast that with the investigation of Paul Watkins, currently the deputy chief of the Lynnwood WA police department near Seattle. He is being investigated by the FBI—and, will likely soon be indicted by a Federal grand jury—for having pocketed cocaine and tens of thousands of dollars in cash seized in drug investigations while he was in charge of the investigative unit of that agency. It appears that there is substantial evidence of wrongdoing, as the execution of a court-ordered search warrant (…uh, huh: in this county we still have a 4th Amendment and a well established process for procuring warrants) has resulted in the seizure of a specific 'missing' firearm and an unspecified bundle of cash from his home.
Watkins is on administrative leave at the present time and surely will not return to work in law enforcement, given the evidence seized to date and the likelihood of prosecution.
The best news: it was the Lynnwood Police Department itself that approached the FBI and requested that it investigate the matter.
October 27, 2007 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's the nice thing about our democracy...
We get to kick out our dictators... but only once every four years... at which time we get new ones...
October 28, 2007 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
The model of the modern republican candidate.
October 29, 2007 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in the town where Headly is sheriff and while he should step down, he's not the corrupt southern sherrif of the movies. He became addicted to pain killers and muscle relaxers after an injury -- a common enough occurance in America. A local pharmacist continued to "fill prescriptions" for him long after they expired.
When the TBI heard about a pharmacy filling false prescriptions, they staked the place out and lo and behold, the Williamson Co sheriff was caught on tape as one of his many illegal customers.
The ironic thing is that Headly has been tough on drug crime and on any of his officers that cross the line. He's just like a lot of Americans who think that abusing prescription drugs is a lesser offense than the garden variety recreational kind.
October 29, 2007 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I use to live in Franklin. THere is so much politics it is rediculous. I moved for that simple fact. Ricky is a hyprocrit is I have ever saw one. Busting people for marijuana but of course he shouldn't go to jail for getting Lortab, Soma, etc. illegally. Of course not. *rolls eyes* He should step down. Or someone should take him out of office.
October 30, 2007 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
I, too, live in Williamson County. Williamsoncojane is accurate in her explanation that Headley became addicted to painkillers and then, instead of seeking treatment for that addiction, thought he could be above the law. It is this hubris that is contributing to an increasing polarization over the way he is clinging to his badge.
Readers should also note that Headley has been indicted in two different counties: Williamson, where he serves; and Davidson (Nashville) where the original crime occurred. The latter will produce a jury MUCH less sympathetic to whatever defense he may present.
If he should, somehow, escape a felony conviction, he will probably seek re-election. He will do so, however, having seriously undermined the support of the inclined-to-give-him-the-benefit-of-the-doubt voter.
A squeaky-clean candidate drawn from one of the city police departments, for example, stands a good chance of attracting the money and votes necessary to push Headley from office.
Until then, we wait.
October 30, 2007 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he shoud be found guilty on 3 felony. 3 strikes your out!!! life in JAIL This is the way he woud do you.
January 17, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is the craziest benefit I have ever heard about! I wonder how many other people,that have lesser charges feel about this. Most of the jail inmates can not even get a court date in Franklin! What is happenening in this corrupt little town It makes me ashamed that I live here. Where is the T.B.I.or Phil Williams from channel 5,or Dr. Phil leave Spears alone at least she is not the HIGH sherrif of one of the riches counties in Tn. This just makes me sick!!!!!!I think we should all run for sherrif,seems to me ,the whole town has gone crazy. This is a sick joke!!!
January 18, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink