The Athens County Sheriff held a news conference yesterday highlighting his qualifications for the position before the March primaries.
Sheriff Vernon Castle promoted the aggressive stance he has taken on enforcing felony indictments, child abuse cases and hard drugs.
His office made 28 felony indictments in Castle's first year as sheriff in 2001 to the 160 indictments in 2007, he said. Calls for service dropped by about 550 to about 6,400 calls, which Castle said is the biggest decrease in the office's history he could verify.
It may have been getting the right people in the right positions
but none of us can know for sure he said.
The two-term sheriff and 27-year veteran of the sheriff's office also touted his years of experience and briefly mentioned his opponent for the Democratic nomination, Pat Kelly.
In the news release and court documents distributed by Castle, he stated that Kelly had been in jail for not making child support payments when Castle began working for the sheriff's office and later was indicted on perjury charges, to which Kelly took a pleaded to a lesser charge.
I don't believe he's the right man for the job and I'll leave it at that
Castle said.
Kelly did not wish to comment on the specific cases but stated that Castle began to question his integrity once Kelly decided to run against Castle, he said. Castle did not question his integrity for the four years Kelly worked as head of the narcotic units of the Athens County Sheriffs Office, he added.
What Vern Castle's trying to do is take the eyes off his poor record as sheriff
he said.
This will be the last sheriff's race that Castle will participate in, as he will be 65 at the next election in 2012, he said.
Democratic and Republican primaries will be held on March 4. Stephen Kane is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for Athens County Sheriff.
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Sheriff Vernon Castle stands on the steps of the Athens County
Courthouse yesterday after his press conference. Castle is running for
his second term as sheriff after being part of the Athens County Police
force for 27 years. The Democratic primary for
