Birmingham - Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale says he was shocked to learn $5 million was withdrawn from his department's account Thursday.  The withdrawal took place sometime after the Alabama Supreme Court vacated a temporary restraining order Hale had received to prevent the county commission from cutting his budget.

Hale says he learned about the missing funds around 10:30 Thursday night, less than 12 hours before his hearing to have another order issued.  As he arrived for the Friday morning hearing, he said, "I think it was just an opportunity for the commission to extract what they intended to all along."

Sheriff Hale added that, if Judge Joseph Boohaker, did not find in his favor Friday, the loss of funds would result in the immediate loss of the following positions in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department: 15 labor positions, 22 vacant deputy sheriff's positions, 8 civilian jobs, 3 probationary civilian jobs, 3 probationary dispatchers, 24 sworn deputies and 8 tenured civilians, as well as rank reductions for one captain, one lieutenant and 10 sergeants.

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