Former Abbeville officer gets pretrial diversion

Credit: Dale County Jail

Gregory Wetzel

By: Ebony Horton | Dothan Eagle
Published: August 31, 2010
Updated: August 31, 2010 - 4:41 PM

OZARK – A former Abbeville police officer who was charged with domestic violence in Ozark was granted entrance into an 18-week deferred prosecution program, according to authorities.

Gregory Wetzel, 38, of Ozark, faced the misdemeanor charge of domestic violence simple assault in municipal court last week after allegations that he choked a female from behind during an altercation in July.

An open records request was submitted by the Dothan Eagle to City Clerk Melissa Robinson and answered after municipal court officials referred reporters to city Prosecutor Ladonna Spivey for the disposition of the case on Friday.

Spivey refused to release information and referred the Eagle to Wetzel's attorney Rick Hollingsworth, who declined comment.

Administrative Office of Courts attorneys said any municipal court proceeding outside of juvenile and youthful offender cases is public record and that Spivey should not have been referred to for confirmation, and neither was Hollingsworth obligated to provide information.

"It's not up to the prosecutor or the defense attorney to supply the media with court information. The prosecutor is not the custodian of the record. It is the function of the municipal clerk's office to be the custodian and that information should be provided," AOC Spokesman Dean Hartzog said.

According to the municipal clerk's office, deferred prosecution involves orders set up by city Judge Bob Brogden that must be completed, generally within one year and for first-time offenders.

The charges are often dismissed after the completion of the program, but can be brought back up if the person commits the same crime again.

While the charge against Wetzel may not indefinitely affect his law enforcement career, Wetzel had been placed on administrative leave with pay from the Abbeville Police Department after the July charges and was later fired.

Abbeville Police Chief Mike Jones said Wetzel will remain terminated as an officer in Abbeville. Jones said Wetzel failed to complete his probationary period as an officer in Abbeville.

"I hire all of them on a 12-month probationary period, and he just didn't make probation," Jones said. "He just didn't follow procedures, and didn't act how we wanted him to act."

Ozark Police Chief Tony Spivey said earlier that Wetzel was terminated from the Ozark police department last year for policy violations after a little more than a year of service.

Dothan Eagle Cops and Courts Reporter Matt Elofson contributed to this report.

Former Abbeville officer gets pretrial diversion

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