Burke County sheriff officially files lawsuit against commissioners

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has now officially filed a planned lawsuit against county commissioners.

This comes as a judge has been selected to hear the case.

Harold A. Hinesley, senior judge of the Superior Courts of Georgia has agreed to conduct proceedings.

Judge scraps Burke County sheriff’s arrest warrant against nemesis

A magistrate judge has recalled an arrest warrant filed by the Burke County sheriff against a woman who’s trying to get him recalled.

The assignment was filed Monday for Hinesley, who serves in the Toombs Circuit.

All Augusta Circuit Superior Court judges disqualified themselves from the mandamus lawsuit filed by Sheriff Alfonzo Williams.

It wasn’t a huge surprise that the judges should recuse themselves, since they deal with the sheriff a lot and therefore could have a conflict of interest.

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Alfonzo Williams: A long battle against commissioners

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2. Burke County audit finds big problems with sheriff’s spending
3. Burke County commissioners won’t supply attorney for sheriff to sue
4. Burke County sheriff will run out of money, commissioners say
5. Burke County sheriff, commissioners meet over financial crisis
6. Burke County sheriff keeps fighting for control of his budget
7. ‘We are in peril here,’ Burke County sheriff says of finances

The sheriff’s legal battle against commissioners is a civil case. He’s filed a writ of mandamus lawsuit against them because he claims they and the county manager are illegally interfering with his budget decisions.

A mandamus lawsuit is a case asking a judge to make someone either do something or stop doing something.

It hasn’t stopped there; he’s also filed an incident report outlining their alleged offenses.

Also as part of the battle, commissioners asked Gov. Brian Kemp to launch an investigation of the sheriff.

The commissioners also declined to consent to the sheriff’s settlement of a sexual harassment case filed by a former employee.

And an outside audit of the county singled out his department – the only county agency to go over budget – for lacking budgetary controls.