Old image victimizing sheriffs
Today’s law officers earn high marks from experts
By Jerry Markon
Jackson, Tenn., Bureau
New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | The indictments of more than two dozen county sheriffs in the Mid-South this decade hasn’t improved the stereotyped image of the fat, crooked, cigar-chomping Boss Hogg running his county like a fiefdom.
But experts – including some of the prosecutors who have put several sheriffs behind bars – say it’s an undeserved image. Southern sheriffs are, for the most part, better educated and more honest than they were 20 years ago, they say.
It’s just that the crooked ones are more likely to get caught.
The image of sheriffs took yet another blow two weeks ago when Tipton County, Tenn., Sheriff Wayne Baskin pleaded guilty to federal charges of extortion, mail fraud and obstruction of justice. Baskin was the 14th Tennessee sheriff indicted since 1980 in a post-Watergate crackdown on public corruption by the federal government.
Yet the wave of indictments does not mean that sheriffs remain the same “good ol’ boys” they may have been two decades ago, experts say.
“The people in sheriffs’ offices now are generally higher-caliber. We’ve seen people who are more professional and better educated, instead of some shakeleg politicians,” U.S. Atty. Hickman Ewing Jr. of Memphis said in an interview last week.
“It’s not that sheriffs now are more corrupt then before, it’s that law enforcement and prosecutors are trying to cleanse the system,” he said.
Ewing should know. His office has prosecuted and convicted six West Tennessee sheriffs – along with numerous other public officials – since he took over in 1981.
Ewing and other officials said the federal government began focusing on public corruption in the mid-1970s, after the Watergate scandal. “After Watergate, there was a new sense of ethics and morality in government,” he said.
Russell X Thompson, an attorney who represented Baskin and has defended numerous other lawmen in court, agreed with Ewing that sheriffs “aren’t (nearly) as corrupt now as they were up until the 1960s.”
“There’s just more investigation by the federal government. Nobody has ever gone after it before,” said Thompson, who attributed much of the push to Ewing.
Rep. Don Sundquist (R-Tenn.) has recommended to President Bush that Ewing be replaced as U.S. attorney next year. It would be up to Ewing’s successor to determine whether investigations of sheriffs would continue to be a major emphasis of the office.
Until recently, many Southern sheriffs deserved their image as corrupt power brokers who ruled their counties with iron fists, experts say.
Mike Blankenship, a professor of criminal justice at Memphis State University, traced corruption back to the origin of sheriffs in 13th Century England.
The sheriff was then called the “shire-reeve,” a tax collector who also enforced the law, Blankenship said. The shire-reeve regularly extorted money and seized property, he said.
As sheriffs evolved into their modern form, they accumulated absolute, unchecked power over their counties. Even now, many sheriffs operate almost autonomously from county governments.
“They were just entities of their own. They did whatever they wanted,” said Thompson.
The image of the all-powerful, corrupt sheriff is a constant theme in Southern culture, said Bill Ferris, director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
“There’s an almost mythic association with the Southern sheriff,” Ferris said. “The sheriff has historically controlled the rural county system, much like a big-city ward boss. The stereotype is that he’s overweight, powerful and in command of a fiefdom.”
Ferris attributed this image to books, music and movies about the South, which reflect “a fascination with the South in American culture.” He cited Walking Tall, a film loosely based on the exploits of former McNairy County (Tenn.) Sheriff Buford Puser.
Now, however, the image and the reality are changing, Ferris said.
“The old corruption is being brought out and prosecuted. This reflects the transition of the South from an agrarian, patriarchal, feudal economy,” Ferris said.
“With the black vote and suburbanization, the old system is being questioned,” he said. “There is less tolerance for the old order that allowed sheriffs to abuse their power.”
Less tolerance is reflected in more prosecutions. Since 1980, at least 27 sheriffs have been indicted in the Mid-South: 14 in Tennessee, six in Arkansas, and at least seven in Mississippi. Charges have covered a wide range, from selling drugs and extorting money to accepting stolen property.
Contributing to the number of indictments is that despite some improvements, many sheriffs still lack enough training, education and pay.
Mississippi sheriffs are the only ones in the Mid-South who must undergo a training course within one year of being elected. The only other required qualifications in Mississippi are that sheriffs must be citizens of their county and not owe the state any money.
Under Arkansas law, sheriffs are required to be at least 18 years old, must have lived in their county for 30 days, and cannot have been convicted of a felony.
In Tennessee, sheriffs are required to be at least 18. Under a recently passed state law, they also cannot have been convicted of a felony.
Ike Hill, executive director of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, defends the quality of today’s sheriffs. But he acknowledges they should be “more professional and better educated.”
The sheriff’s association has introduced state legislation that would require more minimum standards for sheriffs. They include a high school education and a physical examination.
Although this legislation failed to be approved last term, Hill said the association will push it again next year.
In addition, the association is encouraging more training for sheriffs, and it is pushing a bill that would increase their salaries by 10 percent.
Tennessee sheriffs receive between $23,242 and $64,532 yearly, depending on the populations of their counties. In Mississippi, sheriffs are paid from $27,600 to 43,200, using the same population formula. Arkansas sheriffs make between $18,000 and $42,188.
Joe Shepard, sheriff of Gibson County, Tenn., agrees that training and education need to be increased. He said sheriffs face numerous administrative responsibilities today that they didn’t need to worry about before.
“The good old days are gone. This job is a paperwork nightmare,” Shepard said. “I’ve got to be an administrator and a chaplain. I have to handle all kinds of difficult personnel problems every day.”
Ewing endorses tougher standards for sheriffs, but said it is the public’s responsibility to vote out crooked sheriffs.
“Just because you pass a law doesn’t mean some people won’t break it,” the prosecutor said. “The public has to have the mentality that it won’t tolerate corrupt officials.”
[ New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | Old image victimizing sheriff; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 2 Jul 1989; Pg 11]
New Tipton sheriff called sociable type
By Jerry Mackon
Jackson, Tenn., Bureau
COVINGTON, Tenn. – Tipton County Sheriff Buddy Lewis, who took office Tuesday is described by acquaintances as a gregarious, natural politician.
In contrast to Lewis, the man he replaced, former Tipton County sheriff Wayne Baskin, is quiet, retiring and hesitant to give interviews. But Lewis’ advantage in public relations didn’t prevent him from losing to Baskin in the 1982 and 1986 sheriff’s races.
Lewis’ luck change Monday night. The 11-year highway patrolman was elected sheriff by the Tipton County Commission and he will fill the remaining 13 months of Baskin’s four-year term.
“He’s got a good personality,” said Covington resident Billy Joe Glenn, who regularly plays golf with Lewis. “He can meet people, talk to anyone who comes up to him. He’s a good politician.
Baskin, who had been sheriff since 1976, resigned June 22 after pleading guilty to federal charges of extortion, mail fraud and obstruction of justice He faces up to three years in prison.
Lewis worked as one of Baskin’s deputies in 1976-77, before resigning to join the Highway Patrol. But he insisted “there were no hard feelings” that caused a rivalry between the two men.
“Going to the Highway Patrol was just the best thing for me,” Lewis said Tuesday. “Wayne was doing a good job then and I enjoyed working with him. He was my friend when I worked for him and when I ran against him, and I’d like to think he’s still my friend.”
Lewis, who received a congratulatory telephone call from Baskin Monday night, said he sought the sheriff’s post to “bring professional law enforcement back to Tipton County.”
“I’m a professional law enforcement officer and I have very high standards,” he said. “We have to improve the image of law enforcement in Tipton County.”
In the 1982 election for sheriff, Lewis finished second to Baskin in a field of six candidates. He received 3,485 votes to 4,887 for Baskin.
Lewis came closer in the 1986 sheriff’s race, but Baskin beat him by 603 votes, winning 3,597-2,994. Lewis was one of four candidates opposing Baskin in that race.
The name recognition Lewis received from those races is the main reason he was elected sheriff Monday night, said Tipton County Executive Jeff Huffman.
“Anytime you run two campaigns, your name becomes familiar and you meet a lot of people,” Huffman said. “He was known by all the county commissioners.”
Lewis receives high marks from those who have worked with him. He is described as honest, hard-working and dependable.
“Buddy is vey well-liked. I think he’s got the ability, knowhow and incentive to make a good sheriff,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Bob Yoakum, who has worked with Lewis for 11 years.
The new sheriff said he started his first day busily Tuesday, fielding frequent telephone calls and holding a staff meeting.
Lewis said he told employees he plans to make changes in department policy and personnel, but he would not elaborate.
He also called U.S. Atty. Hickman Ewing Jr. – as he had pledged to do Monday night – to determine the status of the ongoing federal probe in Tipton County. The probe, which has targeted other sheriff’s officers, is expected to last at least six more months.
“He really didn’t have any specifics for me. He couldn’t tell me what’s going to happen,” Lewis said.
Monday, Lewis had said that any sheriff’s officer still under investigation “is not welcome in my department.”
[ New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | New Tipton sheriff called sociable type; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 12 Jul 1989; Pg 6]
Cleanup starts in Tipton
Sheriff fires 8 deputies, vows crackdown on vice
By Jerry Markon
Jackson, Tenn., Bureau
COVINGTON, Tenn. – Tipton County Sheriff Buddy Lewis, three weeks after taking office, is purging his department and vowing to crack down on illegal gambling and beer sales.
Lewis succeeded former sheriff Wayne Baskin, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
On Tuesday, Lewis fired eight of Baskin’s deputies and announced a series of policy changes, including a crackdown on gambling and on illegal beer sales, stricter enforcement of drug laws, and regular community meetings.
“The people were expecting massive changes from me.” said Lewis, a former state trooper. “We’ve got to make law enforcement respectable again in this community.”
Local merchants oppose the crackdown. They say illegal Sunday beer sales, which Lewis plans to put a dent in, help their business. Other community leaders welcome stricter law enforcement, but urge Lewis to move slowly.
“Illegal liquor sales and gambling have been going on in Tipton County for so long that people kind of expect it,” said Tom Butler, chairman of a local antidrug task force. “If it isn’t done gradually, some people will get hurt.”
Baskin, who had been sheriff of the county just north of Shelby since 1976, resigned last month after pleading guilty to charges of extortion, mail fraud and obstruction of justice. Federal agents are continuing to probe allegations of illegal gambling, firearms and liquor sales in Tipton County.
County law forbids beer sales on Sunday except in the towns of Mason and Atoka, but the sales have been rampant elsewhere in the county.
“Sunday is the most popular day for beer. Anyone who can get away with it sells beer on Sunday,” said Ralph Wadkins, owner of two Midway Market stores.
Wadins, whose stores are outside the area where beer can be sold legally on Sunday, would not say whether his stores sell beer on Sunday.
Convenience store owners who sell beer have begun a drive to legalize Sunday beer sales. Monday, they presented petitions with 1,600 signatures to county commissioners, who are considering their request.
The fired deputies include several who testified before the federal grand jury that indicted Baskin.
Lewis said their involvement in the probe was a factor behind their firings. “I felt I needed to get people here who would work hard for Buddy Lewis as sheriff, rather than someone who supported my opposition,” said Lewis, who denied the firings were political.
The fired deputies include J. R. Dacus, Greg Brewer and former chief investigator Jimmy Anderson.
Former Chief Deputy Bob Pike – who served briefly as interim sheriff after Baskin resigned – retired, Lewis said.
Also fired were: Elmo Gilliam; Dan Terry; J. A. Anderson, Jimmy Anderson’s father; Marvin Potter and Charles ‘Bud’ Haley.
They were replaced with nine deputies, most of whom worked in law enforcement outside Tipton County.
The new deputies include two Millington police officers, a former state Alcohol and Beverage Commission member and a Somerville police officer.
Pike would not comment Tuesday. Anderson said he had hired an attorney, but would not elaborate.
Lewis has the legal authority to choose his employees without approval from the county commission, said Tipton County Executive Jeff Huffman.
[Cleanup starts in Tipton; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 2 Aug 1989; Pg 17]
Gets Jail Term
Former Tipton County sheriff Wayne Baskin was sentenced Thursday to 33 months in federal prison on charges he took bribes and attempted to persuade witnesses to lie before a federal grand jury.
[ New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | Gets Jail Term; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 6 Oct 1989; Pg 1]
Baskin gets 33-month term
Ex-Tipton sheriff pleaded guilty to bribery counts
By James Chisum
and Laura Coleman
Staff Reporters
Former Tipton County sheriff Wayne Baskin was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison Thursday.
Baskin pleaded guilty June 22 to charges that included taking bribes of $250 to drop marijuana charges and attempting to persuade witnesses to lie before a federal grand jury. The former sheriff, who held the office for 13 years, shook his head when U.S. Dist. Judge Robert M. McRae Jr. asked if he wished to speak before the sentencing. The sentence was the minimum allowed under federal sentencing guidelines.
The U.S. Attorney’s office will notify the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that Baskin has been sentenced. The bureau will decide the place and notify the former sheriff when to report.
U.S. Atty. Hickman Ewing Jr. said an investigation in Tipton County is continuing and witnesses will be appearing before grand juries. He would not, however, reveal the nature of the investigation.
Ewing recited the charges the government would have sought to prove had the case come to trial, but made no request for severe sentencing. A cap of 36 months had been part of the negotiations which led to the guilty plea, he said.
Baskin’s attorney, Russell X Thompson, asked the judge to go easy on fining Baskin, saying the former sheriff now has no income and owns only a house – with a $12,000 mortgage – and a Buick automobile.
He said Baskin, 56, has an eighth-grade education and his wife is unemployed.
Judge McRae levied a fine of $2,200 but said Baskin may pay it during a two-year period of probation after the sentence is served.
The judge, who frequently lectures former officials when they come before him, kept Baskin on an impersonal basis, addressing him only once or twice during the sentencing procedure.
However, when the discussion shifted to whether Baskin will require special protection in prison, the judge spoke as if he might have sympathy or contempt for the former sheriff.
“I don’t think he’s gained a reputation of being too much of a hazard to the crooks,” the judge said.
As he left the courtroom, Baskin lowered his head and plowed through a crowd of reporters without speaking.
After the verdict, Ewing said of the sentence, “We think it’s appropriate to this type of case.”
He said Baskin will be credited for six days a month off his 33-month sentence for good behavior and thus will serve about 26 or 27 months.
The Tipton County Commission has appointed C. D. “Buddy” Lewis to fill Baskin’s term, which expires Aug. 31, 1990.
The eight-count indictment accused Baskin of extorting $250 each from two Tipton County residents in return for not charging them with drug violations. He also was charged with keeping $825 owed to the sheriff’s department by a calendar company and trying to persuade witnesses to lie to the grand jury investigating him.
Baskin’s indictment was part of an 18-month investigation into alleged corruption in Tipton County.
The grand jury that indicted Baskin had examined court records dating back to 1976 when Baskin took office. The probe also is believed to have included testimony about three unsolved murders in the county.
[ New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | Gets Jail Term; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 6 Oct 1989; Pg 1]
Baskin begins prison term
Former Tipton County, Tenn., sheriff Wayne Baskin reported to a federal prison in Alabama Wednesday to begin serving a 33-month sentence.
Baskin arrived at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery at 11:45 a.m., Warden Wayne Seifert said.
Baskin resigned in June after he was indicted by a federal grand jury. Baskin, who was elected sheriff in 1976, pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, obstruction of justice and mail fraud.
[ New Sheriff and Sentencing of Old | Baskin begins prison term; The Commercial Appeal; Memphis, Tenn; 30 Nov 1989; Pg 20]
