GADSDEN Co., FL -- Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young withdrew his appeal of a court decision that held him in contempt of not following a court order.
With that court decision, Young was required to pay a $500 fine for the conviction.
Young had released inmates from jail without permission from courts.
Young released a statement Wednesday saying, "I have decided to withdraw my appeal because I think it's in the best interest of the community and my office. I apologize to my office and to the people of Gadsden County for any distraction this may have caused to our daily effort to keep our community safe and secure. The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, like many other sheriffs' offices across our state, was using a furlough program put in place long before I was elected Sheriff. However, it became clear to me that there are better practices we could employ to protect our citizens, so my office has adopted and put in place a new furlough program that is also being used in Leon County and has been endorsed by a Circuit Judge. I look forward to putting this ordeal behind me and continuing my commitment to the people who elected me Sheriff more than a decade ago."
