GADSDEN COUNTY, FL (WTXL) - Gadsden County residents gathered Tuesday night at the county courthouse in support of Sheriff Morris Young.
Young is under fire for the county's furlough program. He was found guilty of indirect criminal contempt and now owes a $500 fine for that conviction.
Tuesday evening, over a hundred residents gathered at the county courthouse, asking the Governor's Office to keep Young as sheriff.
Supporters believe Young didn't do anything wrong when he released inmates from jail through that program.
According to court documents, Young released inmates from jail without permission from the courts.
Several local leaders came out to support Young, saying the county's furlough policy was in place years before he became sheriff. Representative Alan Williams showed his support for the sheriff: "And so I will say this, as we continue to look at this practice around the state of Florida, it's not just happening here in Gadsden County, we're not isolated, we're going to continue to look at this we're going to work with my colleagues in the House and in the Senate to make sure that we get some clarity on this because if its happening around the state of Florida we don't want our sheriff who is keeping us safe, isolated and picked on."
Supporters say under Sheriff Young's leadership, there has been a significant decrease in crime and that several community partnerships have been established.
