Sheriff Asks Residents to Contact Legislators about House Bill 1

Jud Smith says the bill would make it more difficult for law enforcement to seize and condemn the money and proceeds of criminals.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith submitted the following letter to residents to be posted on Barrow Patch. Click here to read the proposed bill.  Dear Citizens of Barrow County, As your Sheriff I want you to understand that I believe a majority of most criminal activity is directly or indirectly related to illicit drugs in some way. The dealing of illicit drugs is arguably the most profitable business in our Country. These criminals are poisoning our loved ones and children and making a tax free profit every day. Your Sheriff’s Office along with all of the law enforcement agencies in Barrow County have worked very hard for many years to enforce drug laws, but sometimes no matter how hard we work the problem continues to persist. Most …

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Sheriff Takes to Facebook, Issuing Statement on Right to Bear Arms

The Facebook post reiterates what Sheriff Smith told Barrow Patch earlier this week about his stance on Second Amendment rights.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told Barrow Patch earlier this week that he supports residents' right to bear arms. Today, Sheriff Smith issued a statement via the agency's Facebook page.  The post reads:  Here are some excerpts of comments Barrow Patch received on the original post, which can be viewed by clicking here.  "Thank-you for defending our Constitutional rights!" — N. Matthews  "I believe all people should have the right to protect themselves. They should have to be checked out first, make sure they have not committed crimes against others in their past." — Paula House  "Owning guns is my 2nd Amendment right and I will not give it up. If, we, the people, allow this to happen, the only people who will have guns will be criminals …

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Barrow County Sheriff Supports Residents' Right to Bear Arms

Sheriff Jud Smith weighs in on the topic of gun control.

Gun control has been a much discussed topic in the media lately, with Gwinnett County's sheriff going as far as saying he encourages law-abiding citizens to acquire firearms.  Barrow Patch asked Sheriff Jud Smith what his stance is on gun control.  "As the Sheriff of Barrow County I will fully exercise my power to protect and defend the Constitutional rights of the citizens of Barrow County," Smith wrote in an e-mail. "I will not stand by and allow laws to be passed that will infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens ... and [their] 2nd Amendment rights."  The U.S Constitution's Second Amendment says, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be…

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Who's on the Ballot in Barrow County?

The sheriff's race is among those up for grabs in Barrow County, Ga., in November.

Barrow County Sheriff Appointed to State Review Board

Governor Deal has appointed Jud Smith to the State of Georgia Sexual Offender Registration Review Board.

The Barrow County Sheriff's Office has announced that Sheriff Jud Smith has been appointed by the governor to the State of Georgia Sexual Offender Registration Review Board.  According to the news release, the board consists of five regional boards with three members in each region for a total of 15 members throughout the state all appointed by Governor Deal. “The protection of our community’s children and victims of these crimes has been the centerpiece of my administration," Smith said in the release. "It is the primary reason I wanted to serve as Sheriff. I have spent the last 3 ½ years vigorously pursuing those who would do harm to our children and these victims." The board reviews and determines the likelihood a sexual offender will …

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Barrow County Sheriff Talks Golf with Justin Timberlake on Set of Movie

Timberlake was in the area filming a scene for the movie "Trouble with the Curve".

After Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith shook hands with actor-musician Justin Timberlake on the set of his latest film project, the two talked a little about golf. Timberlake was in Barrow filming a scene for the movie Trouble with the Curve, which also stars Clint Eastwood. According to IMDb, the film focuses on Eastwood as an ailing baseball scout in his twilight years who takes his daughter, played by Amy Adams, along for one last recruiting trip. "I shook his hand and met him and talked to him for a while," Smith said of Timberlake. "I talked to him about golf, believe it or not.” The sheriff said he asked the star, an avid golfer, how long he was going to be in Georgia — about six weeks, Timberlake told him — and whether he brought …

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NAACP Calls on Alleged Abuse of Suspects to Cease

The president of the Georgia NAACP asks anyone with information on alleged abuses by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office to step forward.

Edward DuBose called the alleged abuse of crime suspects and county inmates in Barrow County “egregious acts.” DuBose, the president of the Georgia NAACP, stood on the steps of the historic courthouse in downtown Winder on Thursday, June 9, joined by supporters to ask anyone with information on such abuses to step forward. “I came to Winder, Georgia, Barrow County, to say to law enforcement, those who may be guilty of these acts, your time is running out,” DuBose told deputies, some in uniform, in attendance. “I’m told that even some of the sheriff’s deputies that may be out here today are responsible. We’re going to uncover you.” The news conference was prompted by five documented cases of alleged abuse by deputies with the Barrow County …

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