Parker commented Friday on this belief, saying the investigation opened by the RCSO in December was “politically motivated,” while noting he hasn’t had the opportunity to review the investigative file.
The file was subpoenaed for the hearing and turned over to Parker’s attorney before 1 p.m. Tuesday.
“The conflict dates back to issues I have had with the sheriff in the past,” Parker said. “Some of those are well-known, and some of those aren’t, but I have told him ‘No’ on occasion because I am not going to do some of the things I’ve been asked to do.”
Even so, Parker said his disappointment lies in the fact that a local agency conducted the investigation, which he feels should have been handled by the State Bureau of Investigation.
“The SBI is the proper venue to investigate these matters, and that’s where my disappointment lies,” Parker said.
Along with Richmond County Sheriff Dale Furr, County Commission Chairman Kenneth Robinette’s name was mentioned on the stand at the hearing.
Thursday, Robinette responded to claims he is pursuing a vendetta against Parker.
Furr responded to similar allegations during his testimony at the hearing.
Robinette pointed out that he doesn’t take the allegations lightly, and said he was not served with a subpoena to appear at Tuesday’s hearing.
Robinette’s name appeared on a subpoena list submitted to the Richmond County Board of Elections by the attorney of Faye Gathings. Gathings filed the candidacy challenge in Anson County.
“I’m not the sheriff. I’m not a law enforcement officer,” Robinette said. “I’m not the one who filed the complaint, and I’m not the one who conducted the investigation.”
At the hearing, Marston resident Deborah Solomon testified she received a phone call from Robinette asking if Parker lived at the residence, and how long he lived there.
Robinette didn’t deny the phone call, but he denied ever personally going after Parker.
He also prefaced his comments by saying the hearing did not relate to Parker’s work as prosecutor, and said voters have the ultimate voice when it comes to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction with his performance.
He answered a question about his satisfaction with Parker’s work, though.
Robinette takes issue with crowding at the Richmond County Jail, which he feels can at least in part be attributed to a failure of Parker’s office to prosecute cases in a timely manner.
“As far as the job he’s done as district attorney, I think the proof’s in the pudding,” Robinette said. “Our jail is overcrowded, and I think we have something like 17 murder trials waiting in the jail.”
He said there are prisoners accused of violent crimes who have been in the Richmond County Jail for as much as four or five years awaiting trial.
“I felt like we needed to build a new jail before we needed a new, $20 million judicial center, but that’s not the point,” Robinette continued. “We need to prosecute people, and if they are guilty, send them to the state prison and get them off the backs of the Richmond County taxpayers.”
For his part, Furr explained his department’s investigation of Parker’s residence was sparked by a conversation he had in April 2009 with Superior Court Judge Chris Collier about the possibility of asking the State Bureau of Investigation to open an investigation into the matter.
When asked if he’d ever had a conversation with any other judge about Parker’s residence, Furr responded he had spoken with Chief Resident Superior Court Judge Tanya Wallace.
Wallace is listed as a campaign contributor to Parker in a state board of elections campaign finance report.
The state board of elections and ethics commission confirmed a judge’s contributions to a court official’s campaign is not a violation of the law.
Wallace’s daughter is also employed by Parker as an assistant district attorney.
Her court assistant was contacted Thursday to confirm any discussion she had with Furr. The Journal had no received a response as of press time.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Burris of Albemarle is also listed as a contributor to the Parker campaign, and served as counsel for Parker at the hearing.
Furr said he takes exception with Parker’s prosecution methods because of a lack of communication with the sheriff’s department, and for plea-bargaining cases without consulting law enforcement.
He said “at least three” murder suspects arrested by his department went unprosecuted by Parker’s office. When Parker’s attorney Gray Styers followed that question by asking if they were the wrong men arrested Furr responded he didn’t agree.
“No, sir,” Furr said. “That is not correct.”
Under cross-examination, Furr explained he believes Collier’s reference to the question over Parker’s residence constituted a criminal complaint.
He also said the implication of Parker deceiving the public to hold office in a district where he doesn’t live could make him guilty of obtaining property by false pretenses and election fraud.
Furr said he has never conducted an investigation into the residence of a public official during his time as sheriff.
“I never had another complaint,” he testified.
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Phil Sweatt and Det. Sgt. W.D. Taylor also testified at the hearing about the investigation of Parker.
Both Furr and Sweatt said they openly support district attorney candidate Reece Saunders of Rockingham in the upcoming primary election.
Furr said he contributed a $1,000 check to Saunder’s campaign, while Sweatt said he provided the facility lease and food cost for a Saunders campaign event at the Rockingham VFW Post.
Saunders was absent from the hearing, and has not been contacted to respond to the challenge to Parker’s candidacy.
Parker was also contacted for this story, but he was unable to be reached after returning a phone call from Wednesday on Thursday morning.
Richmond County Daily Journal Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at 910- 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.
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