Judge Dismisses Arrest Warrants for Alabama Mayor and Two Town Employees

Arrest warrants for a small-town Alabama mayor and two of his staff members have been dismissed.

Late Wednesday, Judge Lee Barnes issued an order "immediately" nullifying the warrants against Wayman Newton, the mayor of Tarrant, and two of the town's employees.

"Effectively immediately any warrants and/or summons issued by Laverne Knight, Municipal Magistrate City of Tarrant shall be withdrawn and not served," Barnes, the town judge in Tarrant, stated in his order.

"I've been dealing with this for four years, I'm used to it," Newton told 205focus.com this morning. "Once again, they do something idiotic, and it backfires, and unfortunately, I get drawn into it and I'm guilty by association."

The arrest threats arose from a recent personnel dispute between Newton and the city clerk, escalating into a showdown late last week when the mayor reprimanded her for performance and subsequently restricted her access to employees and documents.

In a videotaped exchange, Newton instructed Knight not to contact city employees and to only reach out to him for documents and information.

Knight responded by issuing warrants, accusing the mayor and another employee of "obstructing a governmental operation" and a third worker of harassment.

Knight told 205focus.com that she filed criminal charges because Newton was blocking access to records she needed to perform her job. She also accused him of violating personnel rules by hiring a public works director.

"I have to be able to safeguard even the most sensitive information, the most confidential information," Knight told 205focus.com. "He wants to control the city clerk, he wants the city clerk to show what he wants, to be transparent to his standards."

The warrants were signed by Knight, listing police chief Wendell Major as the complainant.

Judge Barnes dismissed the warrants after consulting with the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. Eric Locke, an attorney from the office, informed city officials that Knight, as city clerk, did not have the authority to issue the warrants.

"So any magistrate duty she has executed without first being appointed could leave the city at risk for lawsuits arising from false arrest, false imprisonment, etc.," Locke wrote. "The city clerk has no supervisory power over the court clerk/magistrate (unless she wears both hats)."

Judge Barnes appointed the city clerk as a magistrate shortly before she issued the warrants on Tuesday. However, by late Wednesday afternoon, in both his order and a follow-up email, Barnes revoked Knight's authority and declared her arrest warrants invalid.

While the warrants have been officially dismissed, the legal battle may not be over. Knight previously told 205focus.com that she would continue her pursuits and amend her warrants if they were struck down.

Knight is Tarrant's fourth city clerk in four years. Her dramatic confrontation with the mayor is the latest in a series of power struggles at city hall, where the mayor, council, and police remain locked in a contentious battle for control.

Council members have denied any involvement in issuing the arrest warrants. Police chief Wendell Major, whom Newton has attempted to fire, stated that his involvement in the warrants was based on the law, not politics.