Perry County Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins dismissed a ballot fraud case against Perry County Commission chairman Albert Turner, Jr. on Thursday.
According to a court filing on Thursday, the State of Alabama requested the case be dismissed, and the motion was granted by Wiggins.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office was prosecuting the case at the request of the Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Robert Turner, Jr. in February to “avoid any appearance of impropriety” due to him being the cousin of Albert.
A spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall declined to comment on Thursday.
According to the indictment, Albert Turner, Jr. allegedly possessed multiple absentee ballots and allegedly deposited multiple election ballots into a voting machine during the 2022 primary elections. He denied the allegations.
The indictment was announced for one count of felony absentee voter fraud and one count of misdemeanor voter fraud at a press conference by former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and former Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Michael Jackson in January during their last days in office. Robert Turner, Jr. defeated Jackson with 54% of the vote in the May primary last year.
Albert Turner, Jr. said on social media Thursday "let it be known that no prosecutor should use their office for a political vendetta."
"My children were upset, and my 86-year-old mother suffered anxiety attacks after hearing that her son would have to face what she, her husband Albert Sr., and Spencer Hogue went through as a defendant in 1986," Turner said. "I don't care if it's me, Donald Watkins, or Donald Trump; a prosecutor should not target individuals because of politics. Michael Jackson and John Merrill will pay for this!"
Turner said "the criminal case is over, and now here comes the civil lawsuit against Michael Jackson and John Merrill."
MotiontoDismiss by Caleb Taylor on Scribd
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