The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has arrested James Dozier for impersonating a peace officer. Dozier is the bailiff for suspended Judge Yashiba Blanchard; he was mentioned several times in the 102-page report detailing the judge's alleged improprieties.
At one point in the report, the chief clerk, Amanda Reid, alleges workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation, including being stripped of her office.
“Ms. Reid's new location at the Birmingham office was a cubicle in Room 150. Located at another cubicle directly behind Ms.Reid's cubicle was Judge Blanchard's bailiff, Mr. Dozier. 19 Ms. Reid no longer feels safe working under these conditions,” the complaint says.
“Mr. Dozier has been described as highly intimidating, not just by other employees but also by attorneys who practice in Judge Blanchard's courtroom. At Judge Blanchard's direction, he does not allow anyone into her courtroom unless they are directly involved with the case, even for cases that should be open to the public. Everyone else is forced to wait in the hall. If you try to enter the courtroom, Mr. Dozier will ‘bite your head off.’ He has aggressively gotten in the face of attorneys,” a footnote reads.
According to the sheriff’s office inmate booking system, Dozier was booked into the jail on Saturday night and released on bond approximately an hour later.
A spokesman for Jefferson County confirmed that Dozier is still an employee.
Dozier is considered innocent until proven guilty.
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