Former Brown County Commissioner Steve Adams was denied his request of early termination of his probation in a hearing held Friday afternoon on July 11th.
Adams pleaded guilty and in a plea agreement on January 20, 2012 for third degree felony charges of theft over $20,000, under $100,000 by a Public Servant, as alleged in the Sept. 29, 2011 indictment. Under the agreement, visiting Judge Moore of Big Spring had ordered Adams to pay a $5000 fine that day and make a $26,000 restitution payment to Brown County. It was also ruled that Adams was to serve fifteen days in the Brown County Jail and serve 10 years deferred adjudication probation. He also resigned as county commissioner Precinct 1 as a condition of the deal.
Adams and his defense attorney Tommy Adams had filed a motion for release of Adams’ probation based on the argument that he has fulfilled all the terms of his probation to this point and has put forth “an exemplary effort” while on probation.
Tommy Adams stated that he believes that his client “deserves discharge from probation and deserves due process,” pointing out that he deserved the same traditional treatment as other Brown County citizens that had served probation for 2 years or 2/3 of the term. Adams’ attorney explained that he had complied with the terms of probation, paid his probation fees along with his restitution up front, suffered humiliation and that Adams had “no political issues in his future, forever.”
Attorney Harry E. White with the Texas Attorney General’s Office argued that Steve Adams should be held to a higher standard because he committed the crime while being a public official. He also explained that Adams’ word was not good, having been a public official who had already promised to protect and defend the citizens of the county while in public office and then stealing from the county.
White argued that releasing Adams from probation could allow him to file for public office in the future, which could allow him to regain his office as commissioner or any other public office and having his probation enforced was the only way to protect the public.
“The way we protect the community is to retain him on probation, it’s the only way it’s (keeping Adams from running from public office) enforceable,” said White who explained if released, Adams could file for commissioner in December 2015 and could possibly be re-elected. “What I want to ensure is that he doesn’t run for office again, and we can only do that if we keep him on probation. I don’t think serving less time than the time it took him to steal is a good condition for termination (of his probation).”
Judge Moore allowed the two attorneys to consult and then met with them in private before making his decision. He then denied the motion to release Adams from probation; however he lessened the conditions of the probation by removing all terms except two which included that Adams would be required to “not violate any laws of this or any other state” and that he would “as long as he is on probation, not run for public office” as a part of the probation.