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It's Swearing-In Day For Local Sheriffs

News Channel 8 and Tribune photos

Sheriffs Jim Coats, left, of Pinellas County and Grady Judd of Polk County were two of the four local sheriffs who took their oaths of office today.

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TBO.com

Published: January 6, 2009

Four of the Tampa Bay area's top lawmen, some of whom have handled some of the area's most significant catastrophes or crimes, were sworn in today, or were expected to be.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd was sworn in this morning for a second term at his place of worship, the First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland.

A couple hundred people were in attendance and watched a video featuring some of Judd's challenges, such as the shooting death of one of his deputies, the videotaped beat-down of a teenage girl by other teenage girls, and the arrest of Brian Doyle, the Department of Homeland Security official accused of trying to lure a teen on-line.

The swearing-in of Pinellas Sheriff Jim Coats was more subdued. With little fanfare, Coats took the oath of office at the courthouse in downtown Clearwater, along with other constitutional officers. Coats, the incumbent sheriff, had beaten former subordinate Randall Jones in the Nov. 4 election.

In Manatee County, Sheriff W. Brad Steube, who is known throughout the state for his success in fighting gangs, was sworn in at the Manatee County Civic Center in Palmetto after he won re-election in November.

In Sarasota County, Sheriff Tom Knight was expected to be sworn in at 4 p.m. Though newly elected, Knight had been a long-time high-ranking official with the Florida Highway Patrol and was tasked with dealing with the infamous I-4 pileup last year.

Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee ran unopposed and had a private swearing-in ceremony on Christmas Eve, said sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. There were no plans for a swearing-in ceremony for Pasco Sheriff Bob White, who was re-elected to a third term in November.

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