From the Attorneys for Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. :
A final hearing on the merits in the matter of Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. vs. County Judge Gerald Robinson, et. al seeking a Declaratory Judgment and a Writ of Mandamus was heard on September 14, 2023, in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Gary Arnold granted a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr., ruling that a 2021 ordinance that required the signature of County Judge Gerald Robinson on a pre-offer job requisition form was unconstitutional. Today, Judge Arnold held a hearing on the remaining claims and merits to determine whether County Judge Robinson’s rejection of over 95 vendor claims submitted to the County Judge by the Office of the Sheriff, (in excess of $200,000.00) and rejected by the Office of the County Judge, was arbitrary and capricious. Judge Arnold indicated that County Judge Robinson’s denial of the claims (and process for submitting them) are a moving target and that his reasons for denying the Sheriff’s Office claims that are submitted for processing are difficult to ascertain. The undisputed testimony reflected that the County Judge’s office, since June 2022, has only denied claims from the Sheriff’s Department (and not any other County Department) and has done so over 90 times. After hearing seven hours of testimony, Judge Arnold requested that both parties present a proposed order reflecting a proposal for both departments to process claims going forward–and is reserving his further ruling until later in the month.
From the Attorneys fro Jefferson County Judge Geral Robinson:
“The law requires the County Judge to ensure that all county finds are spent in accordance with the budget approved by the Quorum Court. The testimony at today’s trial shows that Judge Robinson takes his statutory duties seriously and had exercised those duties in good faith.”
