Sheriff Coleman Tells Commissioners To Take a Hike | Eastern NC Now

    Sheriff Ernie Coleman has sent a letter to the County Manager and Commissioners to essentially take a long walk on a short pier. He is refusing to cooperate with the "Jail Committee" which the Commissioners appointed.

    Observers have reported for some time now that a minority of the seven commissioners wants to build a new jail/law enforcement center. They tell us that it now appears the minority is within one vote to become a majority if appointed commissioner John Rebholtz is elected to the board November 3. He has waffled on his position of the jail and most interpret that as favoring it but will not say so before the election. On his website he takes credit for getting the Jail Committee appointed. He would join Jerry ("That jail will be built regardless of how the people feel") Langley, Ed Booth, Frankie Waters to steamroll the project through.

    Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons has jumped into the parade by ordering that the jail meet state standards. The odd thing about that is that it has been judged by the state to meet the required standards in regular inspections. The state has the legal authority to determine whether jails meet the state standards and if not to order them closed. The state has never done that in Beaufort County but has done so in some other counties.

    But apparently now the Sheriff thinks he can get more of what he wants from the Judge than the Commissioners. So he wrote the letter to tell them to stuff it.