Alabama Newspaper Publisher, Sherry Digmon, and Reporter Arrested for Revealing Grand Jury Secrets and Ethics Violations

In Alabama, a newspaper publisher and an elected school board member, Sherry Digmon, along with reporter Don Fletcher, were arrested for allegedly disclosing grand jury secrets, leading to Digmon's subsequent indictment for felony ethics violation. 

The arrests, made in Escambia County, resulted from a news story published by the Atmore News, delving into the district attorney's investigation of potential misappropriation of federal COVID-19 funds by school district employees. 

Alongside Digmon and Fletcher, the county school district's payroll and insurance bookkeeper, Veronica "Ashley" Fore, was also apprehended. 

The revelations in the article were based on documents obtained by the newspaper, which detailed the issuance of a subpoena by District Attorney Stephen Billy to Fore and Chief Schools Financial Officer Rochelle Richardson.

Although Prosecutor Stephen Billy defended the arrests in an interview with the Atmore Advocate, stating that the disclosures were impermissible and could harm innocent individuals, the Committee to Protect Journalists strongly denounced the actions and urged the prosecutor to drop all charges, emphasizing the crucial role journalists play in local communities.

Despite the arrests, all three individuals managed to secure their release from jail after posting bond. 

Digmon faced a second arrest related to ethics violations, with allegations pointing to the misuse of her position for personal gain by selling advertisements to the newspaper she holds a financial interest in. Digmon was escorted to jail by her attorney, Ernie White, and was subsequently released on a $100,000 bond.

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