Election brings uncertainty to Baldwin County DA’s office
There are at least two officials at the Baldwin County District Attorney’s (DA) office who are also candidates on the ballot in November. Such a potential shake-up in personnel poses an unforeseeable human resources dilemma for the DA’s office in the near future.
One of the candidates is Harry D’Olive, the Assistant District Attorney (ADA) responsible for child support cases. D’Olive is running for the position of Baldwin County Probate Judge. The other candidate is Matt Simpson, the ADA responsible for prosecuting child sex abuse cases. Simpson is running on the Republican ticket for Alabama State House (District 96).
Independent Press Journal (IPJ) recently published an article in which sources report that Simpson was “removed” from working on child sex abuse cases.
Sources say that child sex abuse cases have shifted from Simpson to a new prosecutor, ADA Kristi Hagood. Sources also report that future cases are being assigned to Hagood instead of Simpson. Simpson refused to comment.
DA’s office confirms “transition” plans
In a conversation with Baldwin County District Attorney (DA) Robert Wilters last week, the DA confirmed that his office is planning a transition for Simpson ahead of the November elections, but denied that any transition is currently taking place.
Wilters pointed out that, “[Simpson] is running as a Republican in the most Republican county in the state, which is in the most republican state in the union.” Wilters added, “I’ve got to plan incase [Simpson] wins that we have as smooth a transition as we can.” Wilters went on to say, “there’s a high likelihood that I lose an employee.”
The DA admitted that there are disadvantages to switching prosecutors in the middle of a case, expressing a desire to avoid that outcome whenever possible by not assigning cases to a prosecutor who would not be able to see the case through to the end. Wilters added, “[Simpson’s] got mostly the older cases that he’s been working on,” and, “Kristi [Hagood] has starting taking some of the newer cases.”
The DA went on to describe the planned transition of Simpson: “Once we get closer to the election we may not assign [Simpson] any cases, when it gets closer, we may assign all our cases to Mrs. Hagood.”
IPJ recently learned of changes in the location of Simpson’s office (same building, but a different office). Wilters confirmed Simpson’s recent office change, but explained the move by saying, “I think he just wanted a change of scenery.”
A change in Simpson’s office location so close to an election (that the DA’s office expects Simpson to win) seems more like part of a planned transition than a “change of scenery.”
“I didn’t reassign him”
Sources continue to report that Simpson’s transition has already begun, that cases have been shifted to Hagood, and that Simpson is no longer taking new child sex abuse cases.
Despite the DA’s office confirming an upcoming “planned transition” for Simpson, a new child sex abuse prosecutor, the disadvantages of changing prosecutors in the middle of a case, the high likelihood of Simpson leaving in November, and Simpson’s recent office change, Wilters strongly denies reports that a “reassignment” of cases from Simpson to Hagood has taken place, that Simpson is no longer taking new child sex abuse cases, or that a transition is currently in-progress.
The DA told IPJ: “I didn’t reassign him, my chief assistant didn’t reassign him, my third in command didn’t reassign him.”
