Jefferson County Sheriff

The Jefferson County Sheriff upholds the duties of Sheriff for Jefferson County on behalf of the State of Alabama. The sheriff is charged chiefly with preserving the peace by enforcing the laws of the state, executing orders of the courts, keeping a jail and quelling uprisings. In these duties the Sheriff is enabled by law the right of posse comitatus (the power of the county), to call citizens into service in times of emergency.

This is a list of sheriffs of Jefferson County:

• Levi Reid, October 28, 1819 - October 5, 1822
• John McWhorter, October 5, 1822- March 20, 1824 (resigned)
• John B. Ayers, March 20, 1824 (appointed) - August 10, 1824
• James Murray, August 10, 1824 - August 22, 1826
• John B. Ayers, August 22, 1826 - August 8, 1829
• William A. Scott, August 8, 1829 - August 11, 1832
• Moses Kelley, August 11, 1832 - 1835
• Peter Anderson, 1835 - 1838
• Moses Kelley, 1838 - August 25, 1841
• Peter Anderson, August 25, 1841 - August 23, 1844
• Baylis Grace, August 23, 1844 - August 12, 1847
• Peter Anderson, August 12, 1847 - August 17, 1850
• Abner Killough, August 17, 1850 - August 17, 1853
• Richard Hudson, August 17, 1853 - August 16, 1856
• William C. Eubanks, August 16, 1856 - August 12, 1859
• Richard Hudson, August 12, 1859 - August 16, 1862
• Abner Killough, August 16, 1862 - July 29, 1865
• William F. Hamby, July 29, 1865 - August 8, 1868
• Marion A. May, August 8, 1868 - November 22, 1871
• James T. Eubank, November 22, 1871 - November 18, 1874
• R. H. Hagood, November 18, 1874 - September 20, 1877
• John T. Reed, September 20, 1877 - September 2, 1880
• Thomas A. Anderson, September 2, 1880 - January 15, 1885
• Samuel R. Truss, January 15, 1885 - August 14, 1888
• Joseph S. Smith, August 14, 1888 - August 16, 1892
• George Morrow, August 16, 1892 - September 1, 1896
• Frank P. O'Brien, September 1, 1896 - September 1, 1900
• Andrew W. Burgin, September 1, 1900 - December 21, 1906
• E. L. Higdon, December 21, 1906 - January 10, 1911
• Walter McAdory, January 10, 1911 - 1915
• Thomas Batson, 1915 - 1919
• J. Chris Hartsfield, 1919 - 1923
• Thomas Shirley, 1923 - 1927
• J. Chris Hartsfield, 1927 - 1928 (died in office)
• J. D. Russum, 1928 (coroner completed term)
• W. O. Downs, 1928 - 1931
• James Hawkins, 1931 - 1935
• Fred McDuff, 1935 - 1939
• Harry E. Smith, 1939 - 1940 (resigned for Army)
• Holt McDowell, 1940 - 1963 (appointed, then elected to 5 terms)
• Mel Bailey, 1963 - 1996 (nine terms, resigned due to illness)
• Robert Brissie, 1996 (medical examiner completed term)
• Jim Woodward, 1996 - 1999 (appointed)
• Mike Hale, 1999
• Jim Woodward, 1999 - 2003 (by recount of votes)
• Mike Hale, 2003-

Reference

• Past Sheriffs at jeffcosheriff.net