ATLANTA – When Victor Hill was elected as sheriff of Clayton County, he appeared to make history. It was “the first time in modern history that anyone has ever been elected sheriff in Georgia while under indictment for felony crimes,” according to the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.
Hill was elected as Clayton County sheriff in 2004, but was ousted after one term. Hill’s tenure was controversial from the start after he fired 27 deputies on his first day in office, a move that was later settled in court.
Hill has since lost his certification as a law enforcement officer, meaning he can’t arrest anyone personally. And, his legal problems grew in February when he was indicted on a spate of corruption charges stemming from his time in office.
However, it didn’t affect his standing with voters: He defeated former Sheriff Kem Kimbrough, the man who ousted Hill four years earlier, in a Democratic primary last year and ran unopposed in November’s general election.
But, Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, will not suspend Hill, skirting a potential political and legal showdown over the matter.
