LEROY, Ala. — A Washington County man who was enrolled in a pretrial diversion program on misdemeanor drug charges was arrested Monday after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase that crossed from Clarke County into Washington County and ended in the Deer Head community.
Harlin William Daffin, 37, was taken into custody after a pursuit that involved the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Alabama State Troopers, authorities said. The Washington County chase came just days before Daffin was scheduled for a review hearing in the diversion program, which could have led to the dismissal of his earlier charges.
Daffin was taken to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, where he remains in custody on charges related to the pursuit. The specific charges had not been detailed. Daffin has not been convicted in connection with Monday’s chase, and like anyone accused of a crime, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Items reportedly thrown from the vehicle
Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason McCuiston said officers received reports that Daffin threw unidentified items from his vehicle during the chase. Investigators suspect the items were illegal drugs, McCuiston said, though authorities have not confirmed what the items were.
McCuiston was handling a traffic incident south of Alabama Highway 56 when he was alerted to the pursuit. He joined other deputies to assist.
The route of the Washington County chase
The pursuit began around 5 p.m. Monday on Alabama Highway 69 in Clarke County, according to authorities, before crossing into Washington County on U.S. Highway 43, the main north-south route through the area.
From there, the chase wound through several communities in northern and central Washington County:
- Leroy: Daffin drove through Leroy, passing his own residence.
- Carson Road and Prestwick Road: The route left U.S. 43 for Carson Road and Prestwick Road before looping back onto U.S. 43.
- Wagarville: Daffin then traveled southbound on U.S. 43 through Wagarville.
- Deer Head: Officers brought the chase to an end in the Deer Head community, where Daffin was taken into custody.
Authorities did not report any injuries or crashes connected to the pursuit.
Multi-agency pursuits like this one are common in rural southwest Alabama, where a single chase can quickly cross county lines along highways such as U.S. 43. Sheriff’s offices in neighboring counties and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s state troopers routinely assist one another when a fleeing driver moves from one jurisdiction into the next.
Earlier drug charges and the diversion program
Court records show Daffin was enrolled in a 12-month pretrial diversion program stemming from misdemeanor drug charges filed earlier this year.
He was arrested Feb. 27 near the Tombigbee River bridge on U.S. 43 and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. A March 4 criminal complaint filed in Washington County District Court alleged he possessed marijuana for personal use and cigarillos intended for smoking it.
On April 22, Daffin entered a blind guilty plea in Washington County District Court, admitting guilt and waiving his right to a jury trial. A blind plea is one entered without a negotiated agreement on the sentence. The judge approved Daffin’s entry into the diversion program and held his plea and sentencing in abeyance, meaning the court set them aside while he completed the program.
Under the terms of the agreement, according to court records, Daffin:
- Paid $680 in program fees and safety courses
- Agreed to 12 months of supervision by the district attorney’s office
- Was required to obey all laws
The contract specified that any new criminal offense could trigger immediate removal from the program and direct sentencing on the original charges. Successful completion would have resulted in a full dismissal of those charges. A review hearing had been scheduled for Oct. 22, three days after the pursuit.
How pretrial diversion works in Alabama
Pretrial diversion programs in Alabama are generally run by district attorneys’ offices and are designed to give eligible defendants, often people facing lower-level or first-time charges, a chance to avoid a conviction. Participants typically pay fees, follow supervision requirements and complete classes or treatment, and in exchange prosecutors agree to dismiss the charges once the program is finished.
Because Daffin’s guilty plea was held in abeyance rather than formally accepted and sentenced, the outcome of his earlier drug case depended on whether he completed the program. His contract said a new criminal offense could lead to immediate removal from the program and direct sentencing. Whether that happens in this case will be up to prosecutors and the court; authorities have not said what action will be taken on the diversion agreement.
Second-degree possession of marijuana, the charge Daffin faced from the February arrest, is a misdemeanor in Alabama that generally applies to possession for personal use. Possession of drug paraphernalia is also a misdemeanor.
What happens next
Daffin remains in custody at the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department on the charges connected to Monday’s pursuit. Clarke and Washington counties together make up Alabama’s 1st Judicial Circuit, which handles felony cases from both counties, while misdemeanor cases such as Daffin’s earlier drug charges are heard in each county’s district court.
Any new charges stemming from the chase will move through the court system separately from the earlier case. Investigators have also not said whether the items reportedly thrown from the vehicle were recovered or what they contained.
Anyone with information about the pursuit can contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office or the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department.
