FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2022
For press inquiries only, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Indictment of Former Clarke County Sheriff Ray Norris
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the indictment of William Ray Norris, former Sheriff of Clarke County, for the unlawful use of campaign contributions, violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act, use of office for personal gain, violating the Statement of Economic Interest disclosure requirements, and income tax evasion. Norris surrendered to authorities at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office today and was released on $50,000 bond.
In May of 2021, Norris resigned from his office after Attorney General Marshall’s Special Prosecutions Division filed articles of impeachment in the Alabama Supreme Court.
Attorney General Marshall’s Special Prosecutions Division presented evidence to a Clarke County grand jury, resulting in Norris’s indictment* on January 11. Specifically, the indictment charges Norris with five counts of the unlawful use of campaign contributions, two counts of intentionally violating Fair Campaign Practices Act reporting requirements, one count of use of office for personal gain, two counts of intentionally violating Statement of Economic Interest disclosure requirements, and one count of income tax evasion.
No further information about the investigation or about Norris’s alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictment may be released at this time.
If convicted, Norris faces a maximum penalty of two to 20 years for the alleged ethics violation and each count of the unlawful use of campaign contributions, which are class B felonies.
*An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[For links, click PDF icon at upper right side of press release]
–30–
