JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A not-guilty verdict Thursday frees former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels from his 2-year legal entanglement.
But the scandal that engulfed his only term as sheriff puts Daniels in good company - a long list of First Coast sheriffs whose tenure ranged from controversial to outright criminal.
First Coast News Crime Analyst Mark Baughman, who as a DEA agent helped bring down two local sheriffs for drug dealing, thinks Northeast Florida’s seemingly rich history of troubled sheriffs is less a function of the region than the job.
"I don't think it's so much ‘something in the water,’” he says. “These people wield a lot of power and authority. It's almost like it goes to their head, they get this godlike complex sometimes, which is not good.”
He adds, “we have 67 sheriffs and 67 counties, and there's 67 big egos.”
Below is a (not entirely comprehensive) list of sheriffs whose actions in office either cost them their seat or tainted their legacies.
Interestingly, it often did not end their law enforcement careers.
Former Baker County Sheriff Joe Newmans
Served for 20 years
Indicted by federal grand jury in 1995:
Found guilty of obstructing justice and participating in a marijuana distribution ring
Received 5-year prison sentence
Former Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy
Served for 8 years
Arrested for DUI in 2017 and Domestic Battery in 2019:
Charges later reduced
Former Clay County Sheriff Scott Lancaster
Served for 12 years
Used department credit card to buy alcohol and lingerie for girlfriend in 2004:
Grand jury found he “violated the public trust,” but no charges filed
Hired by State Attorney Melissa Nelson in 2017
Fired 4 months later in sexual harassment scandal
Former Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves
Served for 8 years
Target of a 2010 corruption and civil rights probe by the FBI, no charges brought
Chose not to seek reelection
Hired as state Department of Agriculture agent in 2015
Former Duval County Sheriff Dale Carson
Served for 28 years
Linked to the coverup of the hate crime murder of Johnnie Mae Chappell in 1964
Former Nassau County Sheriff Laurie Ellis
Served for 8 years
Convicted of dealing drugs in 1993:
Spent 14 years in federal prison
Former Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams
Served for 7 years
Resigned in June 2022 after it was discovered he didn’t live in Jacksonville
Returning to work at Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels
Served for 4 years
Charged with 7 counts of lying and evidence tampering in 2020:
Found not guilty Sept. 15, 2022
Issues statement hinting at future “service” Sept. 16, 2022
