CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The judge presiding over the case against former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels filed papers to recuse himself Monday.
Judge Michael Sharrit said he is pulling himself off the case to avoid a conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety. He did not say specifically what led to that decision.
Daniels was arrested in August and pleaded not guilty to charges including making false reports and destroying evidence relating to a 2019 arrest of his former mistress and former employee, Cierra Smith. Daniels was released on his own recognizance.
According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation, Daniels told his deputies Smith was a stalker and asked them to arrest her and book her into jail. The investigation also found the two had exchanged sexually explicit messages, videos and images and that Daniels had sent Smith $30,000 worth of Cash App transfers, according to documents.
Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Daniels after his arrest. Daniels then lost his seat in the August primary to Michelle Cook, former Atlantic Beach police chief, who also defeated a field of Republican candidates to become Clay County sheriff.
Cook was scheduled to face a write-in Republican candidate in November, but Francis Bourrie withdrew from the race.
Daniels' next pretrial hearing is set for Oct. 20.