The contested 2022 sheriff’s race in Conecuh County is not over, even after the judge dismissed the civil case earlier this year.
Republican candidate Mike Blackmon contested the results showing Democrat Sheriff Randy Brock won. The race ended in a tie, but a recount by the canvassing board awarded Brock the win by a two-vote margin.
The case was assigned to retired Democrat Mobile County Circuit Judge Braxton Kittrell.
During the first part of the trial in March, Blackmon’s team presented evidence of possible illegally obtained absentee ballots and votes that may not have been counted. Still, Kittrell dismissed the case on March 25, in a move Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) chairman John Wahl said was politically motivated.
Blackmon’s attorney, Bryan Taylor, filed an appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court. Taylor then filed a post-judgment Rule 59 motion in Conecuh County to vacate the dismissal. Issues leading to the motion included Blackmon’s right to due process to fully present evidence and the judge’s denial of Blackmon’s objection to the admissibility of the purported precinct-by-precinct recount certification.
Taylor previously told 1819 News that the judge has yet to examine some of the ballots in question and that the judge’s dismissal took the majority-Democrat canvassing board’s word.
"It appears to disregard uncontroverted evidence of ballot harvesting, and it seems to absolve the canvassing board's failure to adhere to codified legal standards for determining voter intent from improperly marked ballots,” Taylor said.
Kittrell has set a May 13 hearing for the parties to present additional evidence.
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