Harassment case dismissed against Alabama transportation director
- John Cooper, Alabama's Transportation Director, faced a harassment charge after a neighbor accused him of threatening behavior.
- The complainant, Gerald Carter, decided not to pursue the case, leading to the judge's dismissal of the charge.
- The resolution of the harassment charge does not resolve the ongoing property dispute between Cooper and Carter.
A judge in Guntersville, Alabama, dismissed a harassment charge against John Cooper, the state Transportation Director, on Tuesday. The decision came after the complainant, Gerald Carter, expressed his desire to no longer pursue the case. Prosecutors in Marshall County submitted a request for dismissal, which was agreed upon by District Judge Mitchell S. Floyd. The case stemmed from an incident last year where Cooper was accused of threatening Carter during a dispute over property access. The conflict arose from a disagreement regarding the use of a gravel road that Carter claimed he had legal access to, while Cooper accused him of trespassing. The altercation escalated to the point where Carter alleged that Cooper threatened to shoot and beat him. This incident led to Cooper's arrest on a misdemeanor harassment charge. In addition to the harassment case, Cooper's resort, South Sauty Creek Resort, filed a civil lawsuit against Carter, seeking a court declaration that the resort owned the land in question and that Carter did not have rights to the easement. This legal battle highlighted the ongoing tensions between the two neighbors over property rights. The dismissal of the harassment charge indicates a resolution to this particular legal issue, although the underlying property dispute may continue. The case reflects the complexities of neighborly relations and property rights, particularly in rural areas where access to land can lead to significant conflicts.