The Clarke County Grand Jury had an unusually low number of cases to consider during its fall session last week, and it returned a correspondingly low number of criminal indictments.
Fewer Cases, Fewer Indictments
Grand jurors considered 116 cases and returned 84 true bills, or indictments, made up of 110 felony counts and 57 misdemeanor counts. That is a notably light session by recent standards — true bills returned by Clarke County grand juries usually run well above 100, with a possible high point in 2022, when 503 true bills were issued.
Courthouse and Jail Recommendations
Beyond the indictments, grand jurors issued a lengthy list of recommendations for repairs and improvements to the Clarke County Courthouse and jail in Grove Hill.
Among the top recommendations: restoring and reopening the restrooms adjacent to the main courtroom, which are currently closed. Those are the only public restrooms on the second floor of the historic courthouse, and neither one is handicapped accessible or has seen much improvement since the building was constructed in 1955. In the meantime, citizens attending court in the main courtroom must use restrooms in the courthouse annex.
Grand jurors also recommended adding a restroom near the revenue commissioner’s office, upgrading the absentee voting room adjacent to the circuit clerk’s office, and creating additional storage space for several county offices and departments.
Jail Upgrades Recommended
On the jail side, the grand jury recommended adding more cells for female inmates, along with additional toilets and showers — complete with partitions between the two — in the jail’s female unit. Jurors also called for a body scanner in the booking area to help prevent contraband from entering the facility, and recommended raising pay for correctional officers.
Books ‘In Order,’ Sheriff Praised
As required by law, grand jurors said they had inspected various courthouse offices and found that “the books kept therein appear to be in order.” They also reviewed reports from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and reported that those, too, “appear to be in order.”
Jurors commended the overall upkeep of the courthouse and jail. “Further, we would like to commend Sheriff DeWayne Smith and his staff for the quality and effectiveness of mental health and drug programs implemented,” the grand jury wrote in its report.