Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said a motion to hold him in contempt was a politically motivated attack designed to bolster his newly announced opposition in the race for sheriff.

The Walker County District Attorney’s Office asked a judge to hold Smith in contempt, claiming he had failed to comply with a subpoena to hand over records involving an investigation into a deputy’s eligibility to serve as a law enforcement officer in Alabama.

Smith, who said he found out about the contempt motion through news reporters seeking a comment, quickly filed a response, claiming not only had his office already complied with the subpoena.

Smith said District Attorney Bill Adair earlier today acknowledged he had overlooked receipt of the requested files.

Adair subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the civil contempt request.

Circuit Judge Doug Farris, shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, granted the motion to dismiss.

After the dismissal, Smith posted Facebook video addressing what he described as a “quietly brewing,” political game.

Earlier Thursday, long-time Jasper Police Chief J.C. Poe announced he was running for sheriff.

“In preparation for his announcement, a baseless motion for contempt was filed by the district attorney’s office the evening before his announcement,” Smith said.

The motion against Smith was filed and signed by Kristin Kiefer Huddleston, who the sheriff said is married to an investigator with the Jasper Police Department who works directly for Poe.

Smith noted the motion was filed in a hurry and full of editing marks, “proving how hurriedly it was put together.”

“But it had to be,” Smith said. “They wanted if filed the day before J.C. made his big announcement to give him something to talk about.”

Efforts to reach Poe and Adair for comment on Smith’s allegations were unsuccessful.

The motion for contempt was filed by District Attorney Bill Adair’s office Wednesday, and is a result of an apparent investigation into the qualifications and eligibility of Deputy Andrew J. Neves-McDonald.

According to the contempt motion, Adair’s office on April 21 served a subpoena to the sheriff’s office at the request of an investigator with the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, which certifies law enforcement officers in Alabama.

Adair attached a copy of the subpoena which requested records for numerous cases between Sept. 15, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2025.

Those cases included a death investigation, theft, auto theft and assault that apparently were handled by Deputy Neves-McDonald.

The district attorney asked that all records be turned over to his office no later than 1 p.m. on May 6. As of that deadline, the contempt motion stated, Adair had not received the requested incident/offense report.

In Smith’s response, filed at 2:01 p.m. Wednesday, said after receiving the initial subpoena in April, the sheriff’s office custodian for records sent an email to the software company that stores the digital copies and requested the cases be pulled.

Smith said he copied the district attorney’s office on that email.

Roughly 2 ½ hours later, according to Smith’s response, the software company sent an email to the Walker County custodian of records and copied the district attorney’s office on the email, which contained three files attached.

Earlier today, Smith said, he began to receive requests from the news media requesting his comment on the contempt petition. Smith said that was the first time he was made aware of the contempt petition.

He immediately looked into the matter, his response states, and the custodian of records produced the emails that complied with the subpoena.

It wasn’t until just before noon Thursday, Smith contends, that he was served with the contempt motion.

Moments later, the response states, “the custodian of records received a call from the district attorney’s office and almost immediately was speaking with the district attorney who acknowledged that he had overlooked receipt of the files.”

“I don’t think Ms. Kiefer knew that I had email proof when she filed her motion the evening before her husband’s boss announced his candidacy for sheriff,” Smith said. “This filing was a direct interference with governmental operations.”

“I was hopeful this race would be a clean one,” Smith said. “I refuse to be drawn into a mud bath, however I will not sit quietly while others make accusations that are clearly false.”

“I’m an outsider who was not handpicked for my position several years ago,” Smith said. “People who have controlled and held office for over 30 years want me gone. I think there’s evidence, and people see everyday what I go through.”

“I expect retaliation for this response,” the sheriff said. “However, I will not be rocked out of town by the old guard.”