A parole hearing for former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely is set for March 7.

Blakely, who served 38 years as sheriff, was automatically removed from the position when a Limestone County jury on Aug. 3, 2021, found him guilty of first-degree theft and using his public office for personal gain.

The theft charge was related to his campaign fund and dealings with Red Brick consulting, while the personal gain charge was related to $29,050 in interest free loans from a safe that held money belonging to inmates.

The state originally brought 13 charges against Blakely, who began serving as sheriff in 1983, the first of 10 terms. The jury had considered 10 charges of theft and use of position for personal gain — nine felonies and one misdemeanor. But they found Blakely not guilty on the other eight counts.

He was sentenced to three years in the Franklin County Jail, which he began serving on Feb. 24, 2023.

Last May, a Limestone County circuit judge turned away an appeal bid by Blakely to have his conviction and jail sentence overturned.

Judge Tim Jolley, in a seven-page decision, ruled that Pamela Baschab, a retired Jefferson County circuit judge, had authority to preside over Blakely’s 2021 trial.