Obscure law allowed Alabama sheriff to LEGALLY pocket at least $750,000 in taxpayer funds [tr]

A P ^ | March 16, 2018

[Beautiful_Gracious_Skies]

Full Title: Obscure pre-WWII law allowed Alabama sheriff Todd Entrekin to LEGALLY pocket at least $750,000 in taxpayer funds

GADSDEN, Ala. — An Alabama sheriff legally used more than $750,000 of funds meant to feed inmates to purchase a beach house.

Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin told The Birmingham News he follows a state law passed before World War II that allows sheriffs to keep “excess” inmate-feeding funds for themselves.

Entrekin reported on state ethics forms that he made “more than $250,000” each of the past three years through the funds.

The sheriff’s annual salary is more than $93,000.

He and his wife purchased a four-bedroom house with an in-ground pool and canal access in September for $740,000. [snip]

“Clearly this is a practice which is problematic because it creates an incentive for sheriffs to spend as little as possible on feeding folks.”

[Beautiful_Gracious_Skies]

Sheriff E. had better install tight security at his new beach house.

[DoughtyOne]

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[Paladin2]

So much for The Rule of Law proponents.

[WayneS]

It appears to me that he was following the law...

[Pontiac]

“Clearly this is a practice which is problematic because it creates an incentive for sheriffs to spend as little as possible on feeding folks.”

Not that the incentive is bad. Prisoners should not be getting fat on the taxpayers’ expense. But the excess funds should not pocketed by the sheriff.

Those funds should be put to a useful purpose that benefits the public at large or the tax burden on the public should be reduced.

I prefer the latter.

[Paladin2]

Guilty as H377, free as a bird.

[WayneS]

Exactly.

Alabama need to update its law regarding how their sheriffs are compensated.

[shotgun]

So he did the math and figured he could feed them PB&J sandwiches instead of hot dogs and save the county $750,000, and he then rewarded himself for his frugalness of taxpayer funds...

My bet would be that this department is out of control based upon his actions. Once the line deputies see that command staff is getting away with this kind of behavior then they will quickly follow suit. If there is one thing I know about cops is that there are quite a few that have the attitude of entitlement. If someone is getting something they will do their best to make sure they get some too...

[Mr. K]

It may be ‘legal’ but you’re still a piece of crap.

[Mr. K]

It may be ‘legal’ but you’re still a piece of crap.

[fuzzylogic]

...then it was ok?

[Ancesthntr]

On top of being a greedy SOB, the sheriff is pretty stupid. He could have taken the same money and bought income-producing properties that would have produced sufficient income to pay for that same house...and he’d have kept the properties, which would appreciate and also have increased equity every single month as the mortgages were paid down.

Greedy and stupid...wow, what a combination.

[Wuli]

A good reason for all laws to have sunset provisions, requiring legislators to get off their asses and (a) pass fewer laws, (b) make all laws subject to periodic review, and check all laws for their sunset provision and actively legislate to keep them or let them die.

[WayneS]

No. Just because something is legal does not mean it is ethical.

But it is clear Alabama needs to update its law regarding how sheriffs are compensated.

...and at the vey least, he should have shared the money with his deputies.

[Carriage Hill]

"Prison loaf" is cheap eats for inmates...

[Teacher317]

So he did the math and figured he could feed them PB&J sandwiches instead of hot dogs and save the county $750,000, and he then rewarded himself for his frugalness of taxpayer funds...

I'm sure the PB&J (et al) wasn't exactly quality stuff either, once he saw that he could maximize his profits this way. Inmates shouldn't get steak, but they shouldn't get blue-from-mold bologna either.

[Blue House Sue]

This is the media’s payback for Sheriff Todd Entrekin’s endorsement of Judge Roy Moore.

[Blue House Sue]

“It appears to me that he was following the law...”

Spot on.

Sheriff Todd Entrekin followed the law, used taxpayer money to provide create jobs in the real estate and construction industries, but because he endorsed Judge Roy Moore, he is being attacked for Following the Law, which is exactly what a sheriff is supposed to do.

[DannyTN]

This is wrong regardless of who Entrekin endorsed and what the law states.

It was a bad law that should have been exposed and fixed a long time ago.

[rawcatslyentist]

Just because it's the law, does not mean the law is just.

That is why we have the right to a trial by our peers.