Former Police Lt. Ralph Johnson

Union Springs AL

I saw two articles (May and June of 2004) in the Union Springs Herald by Jared Felkins about Mr. Johnson’s case.  He faced six indictments with multiple charges. He plead guilty to two counts and was sentenced to five years probation for second degree theft of property and use of his official position for personal gain.  Both were felonies.  He also had to pay restitution in the amount of $6,670 in $125 a month payments.  Whigham said that Ralph was still under investigation, but any future charges would not be prosecuted, that he'd just have to pay restitution.

Bullock County DA, Boyd Whigham said, “There was never an issue that caused a person to be processed for something he or she didn’t do.  The only thing we found wrong was that he took some money that didn’t belong to him.”  Why would he say this?  I think that he said it because he was covering up the fact that innocent people were sent to prison.

Whigham said that the plea bargain was to “make the case go away for all parties involved.”   That is because he did not want anyone looking into the corruption in the county.

He was originally sentenced to prison but applied for probation and the state had no objections.

This man was a policeman who was sworn to enforce the law.  The people of Union springs depended on him and trusted him but he let them down.  Then he gets special treatment because the Bullock County DA (Boyd Whigham said that he would not be safe in prison and that he did not think stealing was enough of a crime to send him to jail.

Come on Mr. Whigham, do you let other thieves have probation?  Then you say you’ll miss him and that he did a lot of good things and some bad.

This whole deal stinks.  I get the feeling that Mr. Whigham has something to hide and Mr. Johnson knows what it is.  I have heard rumors of corruption in Bullock County and this action makes me think that it is true.  Something smells to me.

I have heard rumors that Mr. Johnson was selling confiscated drugs.  I also heard that if it went to trial that more corruption would be exposed.  Mr. Whigham knows that Mr. Johnson could have taken him down too.  Mr. Johnson had already mentioned several of the so-called big-Wigs that he would take down if he went to prison. Those who Mr. Johnson stole the drugs & money from were convicted and sent to prison as a result of his arrest.  While they were in jail or on the way to prison, he was selling their drugs and spending their money. Some of them are victims who'll never get justice.

If this were to happen in Detroit the FBI would get into it and the police officer and others would be facing federal charges.  I think that the FBI should look into the case and other city and county officials.

Lee

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