Judge recuses himself from Dale County murder conspiracy case

OZARK - A Dale County district judge has recused himself from a case involving two men charged with conspiracy to kill three people, including a Dale County circuit judge.

It was about three weeks ago when Pinckard resident Fred Daniels, 66, and his son Garrett, 39, asked Dale County District Judge Stanley Garner to recuse himself after doubts he would objectively preside over the case. Garner had also set an “excessive” $3 million cash bond for each of the men, according to the motion.

Garner wrote in the recusal order on Friday that he had no bias against the defendants but that he would recuse himself so the court would not appear unfair or partial.

The order read, “...this Court subscribes to the belief that the ‘appearance’ of fairness and impartiality is virtually as important as the principles of fairness and impartiality are themselves. To the extent that any doubt regarding these principles currently exists in the instant cases, this Court intends to dispel it now.”

The Daniels have been in the Dale County Jail since early February when an investigation unearthed their alleged plot to kill Dale County Circuit Judge Kenneth Quattlebaum, attorney Buddy Williams, and Garrett Daniels’ ex-wife, Sharmon Daniels, and to injure Fred Daniels’ ex-son-in-law, Tim Williams.

Quattlebaum later recused himself from a pending divorce case involving Garrett Daniels.
Fred Daniels’ attorney, Will Matthews, said all future proceedings will take place before a judge assigned to the case. Another judge has not yet been assigned to handle the case.