Legal Justice
Indictment accuses choose of utilizing public funds to make use of his son, journey, purchase sofa and alcohol
The presiding choose of Alabama’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Lauderdale County, Alabama, has been charged with mendacity to a grand jury and utilizing public funds for private purchases and his son’s employment. (Picture from Shutterstock)
The presiding choose of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Lauderdale County, Alabama, has been charged with mendacity to a grand jury and utilizing public funds for private purchases and his son’s employment.
Choose Gilbert P. Self, 61, of Florence, Alabama, has been indicted on 18 counts, 16 of them for alleged use of his workplace for private acquire or the acquire of members of the family, in accordance with a Jan. 29 press release by Alabama’s lawyer common. The opposite two counts allege perjury and a false assertion to public auditors.
Self is accused of spending public cash for a sofa; alcoholic drinks; eyeglasses and holidays, together with snowboarding, biking and seaside journeys. He’s additionally accused of utilizing public cash for occasions that he didn’t attend in Reno, Nevada; Duck Key, Florida; and Mackinac Island, Michigan.
AL.com, Law & Crime, WHNT and WSFA are among the many publications with protection.
WHNT had specifics on alleged purchases from the indictment. They included a double reclining console couch, grab-and-go beers, a chocolate martini and framing for his son’s diploma.
The indictment stemmed from a state audit that questioned a number of funds comprised of two court-fee funded accounts overseen by Self. The Alabama Daily News coated the audit findings in October 2023. The audit mentioned Self had employed his son as a legislation clerk.
Self informed the Alabama Each day Information that his son was making use of to legislation faculties after graduating in December 2019, and he employed his son for $10 per hour in what he thought could be short-term employment.
“I believed he’d be right here a number of months after which go on to legislation faculty; then the pandemic hit,” Self mentioned.
He added that his son helped hold the workplace working through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Self’s legal professionals informed WHNT that he voluntarily repaid all of the funds spent “on these trustworthy and correctable errors.”
Self additionally launched an announcement to WHNT. It reads, “From the primary time the auditors introduced these points to my consideration, I’ve acknowledged trustworthy however correctable errors have been made within the two financial institution accounts I administered as presiding choose. These errors occurred over a time period, when our courtroom system was below immense stress because of the pandemic and being understaffed and overloaded. At no time did I intend to violate any legislation. Lauderdale County shouldn’t be out any cash, and all the cash in query is in these accounts.
“Nothing can change the errors I made and my embarrassment and remorse are painful realities. Fortunately, my spouse, sons, household, associates and church have been steadfast of their assist. I look ahead to having the residents of our group overview what occurred and contemplate the unprecedented circumstances surrounding many of those occasions.”
