Steve Marshall responds to ‘reprehensible’ attacks from Republican AG candidate

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is pushing back against what he labels "false allegations" circulating in a campaign advertisement regarding his office's handling of the 2016 fatal shooting of Gregory Gunn.

The Conflict

The controversy stems from an advertisement released in May by former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell. The spot features an endorsement from Aaron Cody Smith, the former Montgomery police officer convicted of manslaughter in the Gunn case. Smith, who served prison time, claims that Marshall and his chief counsel, Katherine Robertson, failed to provide sufficient assistance in his legal battle. Mitchell, currently running against Robertson in the Republican primary runoff to succeed Marshall, has continuously asserted that the Attorney General's Office led a "wrongful prosecution" of Smith.

Marshall Strikes Back

"I find it reprehensible that someone who wants to hold the office of Attorney General would, for an attempt at political gain, recklessly attack the office he wants to lead," Marshall stated. He noted that while he had previously remained quiet, the ongoing misstatements regarding his staff and the office's record could no longer go unaddressed.

Regarding the case itself, Marshall highlighted that his office took the rare step of intervening after a rule 32 petition brought the case back before a trial court. This intervention resulted in a plea deal that allowed Smith—who was originally sentenced to 14 years in 2019—to return home immediately. Marshall further noted that his office provided Smith with a recommendation for a state job and assisted in his attempt to obtain a pardon.

Safety and Redaction Concerns

A public letter of thanks from Smith to the AG's office was recently removed from public view after a demand from Smith's attorney, Hayden Glass Sizemore. The demand argued that while the office could post about the case, identifying details about Smith’s current place of employment posed a "serious safety risk." Mitchell criticized the release of the letter as an "act of intimidation," while Robertson defended her work, stating she stands by the office's actions and holds no regrets for the help provided.

Smith countered these claims in a statement on Facebook, questioning why he was required to enter a plea to a conviction he termed "wrongful" in order to secure his release.

The runoff election between Mitchell and Robertson is set for June 16.