Prosecutors are working on bringing felony charges against St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith, 25 days after claims he attacked a Northshore resident in a Madisonville restaurant, but it is still a work in progress.
The incident at Keith's Young Steakhouse last month resulted in Sheriff Randy Smith booked on charges including second-degree battery, a felony. Metro Crime Commission president Rafael Goyeneche says before prosecutors can accept the charges, they need to figure out if they can handle the case at all.
"That case, that report has to be forwarded to the district attorney's office," said Goyeneche. "The district attorney at that point will decide whether they intend to prosecute the case, or if they are going to recuse themselves."
If the D.A. recuses, it will be up to the state attorney general to handle the case, Goyeneche said.
Goyeneche says whoever handles the case, if felony charges are brought against the sheriff, "I believe that it would be in the best interest of department and the people of St. Tammany Parish if he would recuse -- I'm sorry, resign his position immediately."
Goyeneche says if this were a deputy facing these charges, the sheriff likely would have suspended that deputy already.
