COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Jurors resume deliberations Friday in the trial of a former South Carolina sheriff accused of corruption and misconduct.
Closing arguments were held Thursday in the trial of Chester County Sheriff Alex “Big A” Underwood.
Also on trial are two of Underwood’s former top deputies - Chief Deputy Robert Sprouse and Lt. Johnny Neal. Underwood faces 10 counts of conspiracy, fraud, and other tampering and theft charges. Neal and Sprouse face 19 additional charges.
Underwood is accused of using county-paid deputies to build himself a party barn, skimming money from federal programs, hiding first-class airplane tickets to Nevada for himself, Sprouse and their wives, unlawfully arresting a man who was recording video of a manhunt and lying to investigators.
“This is a case about all the ways that these defendants have abused their power and abused the trust of the people of Chester County,” The Herald of Rock Hill reports federal prosecutor Rebecca Schuman told the jury. “These defendants lied and they bullied and then they lied some more.”
Underwood’s defense said prosecutors did not prove their case and tried to criminalize what are policy violations at worst. Stanley Myers, one of Underwood’s defense attorneys, said prosecutors are trying to put a beloved hard-working sheriff in prison.
Underwood created a family-type environment in his office and was regarded as “an uncle,” Myers said, his voice trembling and appearing near tears.
“There may be people in Chester County who deserve to be in handcuffs, but Alex Underwood ain’t one of them,” said Myers, begging the jury not to “rush to judgment.”
The closing arguments ended a nine-day trial in which prosecutors examined various acts including Underwood’s arrest of Kevin Simpson, who had been livestreaming a manhunt.
Underwood entered Simpson’s property and ordered him to stop filming, Schuman, said, even though the 27-minute video showed he was not interfering with officers. Although Schuman acknowledged that Simpson “had the audacity” to talk back to Underwood, that was not grounds for being jailed for three days on a disorderly conduct charge that was later dismissed.
After Underwood and Neal subdued Simpson and arrested him, Neal was escorting Simpson to a waiting patrol car when, without warning, the deputy shoved Simpson so hard his feet flew up in the air and one of Simpson’s shoes flew off and he hit the ground “like a sack of taters,” Schuman told the jury, quoting witness testimony. At the time Simpson was handcuffed and not being provocative, Schuman said.
Andrew Johnston, Neal’s attorney, disputed Schuman’s version of events, saying evidence was clear that Simpson just stumbled and fell back.
“This was not excessive force; it was not even force - the guy fell down,” Johnston told the jury.
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