ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A GoFundMe was created Tuesday stating to help former St. Louis City Sheriff Alfred Montgomery.
The GoFundMe was started by Briant Smith and is looking to raise $16,000 for Montgomery’s legal funds.
“Today, I am not just speaking as an elected official,” the page description reads in part. “I am speaking as a father, a son, and a member of a family that is hurting. Nine months after taking office to serve the community I love, my life changed in ways I never imagined. I was charged first with a misdemeanor, then with felony charges. In a country that promises we are innocent until proven guilty, I was led into court in shackles — separated from my dignity before I ever had the chance to defend my name.”
The GoFundMe was shared on the same Facebook page that Montgomery posted press releases while he was sheriff.
Montgomery remains in federal jail as he awaits a federal criminal trial. In October, Montgomery was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights and four felony counts of witness retaliation and one count of witness tampering. In December, Montgomery was ordered to be removed from his position as sheriff after a state-level civil trial.
Last week, Montgomery’s lawyers argued in St. Louis Circuit Court a new trial should be held in his civil case that saw him removed. Judge Steven Ohmer took Montgomery’s petition for a new trial under advisement. He is expected to make a decision before April 21.
A trial has not yet been set for Montgomery’s federal criminal trial.
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