Sheriff Stoots Shoots Self in the Foot in Lunenburg County

A real life “Barney Fife” story in Lunenburg County

Special Election in Lunenburg County on August 8th Heats Up

In recent weeks the Iconoclast has covered the election of a local newspaper editor to the office of Mayor of Blackstone. This piece and the ensuing discussion generated a fair amount of interest in neighboring Lunenburg County. One thing leads to another and such it was with the arrival of a parcel of newspaper clippings by snail-mail earlier this week.

Indeed, these clippings revealed an interesting story, as our Lunenburg source promised; one that is still unfolding in the weeks leading up to a special election for Sheriff of Lunenburg County scheduled forAugust 8th, 2006.

In a nut shell, this story is an example of extremely poor political judgment by one recently appointed Sheriff Randall L. Stoots of Lunenburg County. This is a story about politicizing public safty and of squandering of human resources.

It seems the story started with the untimely and sudden death (by natural causes) of then Sheriff Charles Warren Stokes. In the aftermath of Sheriff Stokes’ sudden death, then Chief Deputy Randall L. Stoots, who had served directly under Sheriff Stokes, was elevated to Sheriff by appointment on May 1st, to serve until a special election could be scheduled.

So far, so good…

But then, in a master stroke of political ham-fisted poor judgment, the newly appointed Sheriff Stoots first announces his intentions to run for Sheriff in the up-coming special election, and second, summarily fires two senior members of the Lunenburg County Sheriff’s department, one Deputy Arthur Townsend (21 years with the Department) and two Deputy Jimmy Moses (25 years with the Department). Sheriff Stoots is reported to have been employed in law enforcement since 1997, or about 9 years.

As an aside note, now former Deputy Townsend was a close runner up in the special election for Sheriff of November 2004, losing with 1,253 votes to the winner’s (the recently deceased Sheriff Stokes) 1,527 votes.

In justifying the firings, Sheriff Stoots explained that he asked all deputies for their “continued support and cooperation” and the two fired deputies apparently declined to agree to the offered terms. Instead, the then deputies Townsend and Moses apparently indicated their intent to also toss their hats into the ring for the special election for Sheriff later this summer.

From the news clippings provided, there is absolutely no indication that either deputy (Townsend or Moses) refused to carry out his oath of office or to follow lawful orders from a superior officer. Their only apparent “crime” was their revelation that they also intended to run in the special election for the office of Sheriff later this summer, just like Sheriff Stoots had done earlier.

This seems like a pretty clear intent by Sheriff Stoots to sacrifice two competent and experienced deputies and the public safety in a feeble attempt to eliminate competition in the up-coming special election.

As of this date, a fourth candidate has emerged for the special election of August 8th: Lt. David R. Jackson, a Mecklenburg Correctional Center officer. So, as of now, the special election seems to be a four way race with newly appointed Sheriff Randal L Stoots, facing off against former Deputy Arthur Townsend, former Deputy Jimmy Moses, and Department of Corrections Lt. David R. Jackson.

Four way races are extremely unpredictable, especially when the total number of votes is very small. Our analysis of the 2004 election reveals that only slightly over 5,200 voters showed up to cast votes in a seven way race. The winner in that county-wide race got only 1,527 votes. So the August 8th, 2006 special election can be similarly fragmented and won by a relative hand-full of votes.

The Iconoclast has sworn no oath of personal loyalty to any of the candidates running for the office of Sheriff of Lunenburg County in the special election of August 8th, 2006. However, it is fair to say that the Iconoclast would support the election of the best qualified candidate to “protect and serve” as Sheriff of Lunenburg County.

From the information we have available, it is clear that incumbent Sheriff Randall L. Stoots (just appointed) is the Iconoclast’s choice for the “Barney Fife Self Inflicted Shot in the Foot Award.” And just to be fair, Sheriff Stoots' entire public statement explaining his actions concerning the dismissal of former deoputies Townsend and Moses is provided here.

To: Citizens of Lunenburg County

From: Randall L. Stoots, Sheriff

In 2004, the citizens of Lunenburg County elected Charles W. Stokes as the Sheriff. After careful consideration, Sheriff Stokes appointed me, Randall Stoots, as the Chief Deputy. On April 24, 2006, due to the untimely death of Sheriff Stokes, I was appointed as the Sheriff of Lunenburg County.

As the Sheriff, I asked the deputies for their continued support and cooperation. All deputies, with the exception of two, stated that I would have their support. I personally talked with both of these deputies in hopes that they would reconsider their decision not to support me. Both of these deputies told me several times that they would not support me. Several additional attempts were made to gain the support of these deputies and each time I was told that I would not have their support.

In order to be an effective leader of any organization, you must have the support and cooperation of your staff. This is especially important in law enforcement where the primary mission is the protection of the public. If these two deputies were to come to me today and ask for their job back, I would give it to them. All I would ask for in return is their support of me as the Sheriff of Lunenburg County. I have no hard feelings toward either of these individuals, all that I requested was their support and they said no.

My primary focus as the Sheriff is and will continue to be the protection of the citizens of Lunenburg County.

God Bless the Citizens of Lunenburg
Randall L. Stoots, Sheriff

Frankly, Sheriff Stoots' explanation is a poor one. If you read Sheriff Stoots' public statement he does not say that the deputies refused to honor their oaths of office nor does he say that they failed to honor direct orders. Sheriff Stoots states that "I requested their support and they said no." From the entirety of the information avaialble, it seems quite clear that the "support" Sheriff Stoots asked for is for his candidacy for Sheriff as opposed to asking the deputies to renew their oaths of office by continuing to serve the citizens of Lunenburg County.

There is a big difference between an oath of office serving the citizens and an oath of loyalty to an individual for political reasons.

No Sheriff has a right to require subordinate deputies to swear an oath of personal loyalty to himself, effectively subordinating the oath of office to protect the peace and public safety to personal political interests.

This is just wrong.

As far as endorsements are concerned, the Iconoclast would have to give equal consideration to candidates Arthur Townsend and Jimmy Moses. Each having over two decades of experience and no compelling reason to question their qualifications for office, either one of these candidates seems well qualified to serve as Sheriff of Lunenburg County.

Wonder what words of wisdom Sheriff Andy Taylor might offer on this sorry display of bad political judgment and waste of valuable law enforcement experience? I'll bet Andy would take away Sheriff Stoot's bullets.

May the best candidate win on August 8th, 2006.