Monday, January 9, 2017

Alabama CEO William Cashion wanted Dr. Mark Hayden to "rot in prison" and contributed $100,000 to Jeffco Sheriff Mike Hale, according to affidavit


Dr. Mark Hayden
A wealthy Alabama businessman vowed to see his physician nephew "rot in prison" and donated $100,000 to the campaign of the sheriff who helped orchestrate the nephew's arrest, according to a recently filed affidavit.

William Cashion, CEO of Western Steel Inc. in Bessemer, said he wanted Dr. Mark Hayden, of Wetumpka, to "rot in prison," according to an affidavit from George E. Pace, a reserve deputy with the Elmore County Sheriff's Department, Hayden, in fact, recently spent 25 days in the Jefferson County Jail due to a dubious civil-contempt order from Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo. Hayden's arrest writ recently was re-issued, and he now is back under threat of incarceration -- in a fully civil matter, which involves no allegations of a crime.

Pace's affidavit is included with papers Hayden is preparing for a federal lawsuit related to his original arrest on November 28, 2016. Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale was responsible for carrying out Graffeo's arrest order. Pace states in his affidavit that Cashion said he was an honorary deputy in Jefferson County and had contributed $100,000 to Hale's election.

Hayden's arrest stems from a 2012 lawsuit styled Cashion, et al v. Hayden, et alDuring a divorce, Cashion had appointed Hayden as his power of attorney. When Cashion spent roughly $6 million on an Alabama gold mine that produced no gold, Hayden used his authority to establish a Nevada spendthrift trust in an apparent effort to keep his uncle from spending even more money on the gold venture.

Cashion objected to his nephew's action and set off a string of legal actions that involve both state and federal courts, in Alabama and Nevada.

Was Cashion so angry that he bribed Hale (and perhaps Graffeo) to seek retaliation against Hayden? Pace's words suggest the answer might be yes. From the affidavit:

William B. Cashion met me in person in Wetumpka, Alabama, and discussed law enforcement in Alabama.

I, George Pace, showed him my constable badge from Elmore County, and he showed me his badge from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

Cashion said he was some type of deputy, that Mike Hale had personally given him the badge.

He said he had contributed $100,000 per election to Hale.

Cashion said he wanted Steven Mark Hayden to rot in prison.




7 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, this is JU$TICE in Alabama.

e.a.f. said...

sounds more like Russia than America. Oh, well might as well get used to it.

This case is just one e.g. of why law enforcement officials ought not to be elected but rather hired by a police board. Once the law enforcement officers of any community start to "RESPOND" to political favours, democracy is on its way out the door.

money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech said...

Ooh, that smell
Can't you smell that smell?
Ooh, that smell

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Cashion's $100,000 was an above-board contribution, which should show up on campaign reports, or an under-the-table "incentive"?

legalschnauzer said...

Good question, @4:45. I've done some research on Alabama Sec. of State page and haven't found anything yet. I'm not a hot-shot at using the SOS site, so would welcome input from others who might want to give it a shot.

Anonymous said...

He is pro se. He is screwed. Beyond that a lot of the allegations are hearsay and as far as assertions against a circuit judge are concerned, lots of luck.

legalschnauzer said...

@8:25 --

My experience has been that you are screwed if you have a lawyer, and you are screwed if you don't. It's much less expensive to get screwed without a lawyer. Plus, you have the knowledge that someone (yourself) actually was fighting for you instead of selling out to the judge or the other side, or both.