Lincoln County Sheriff

Lincoln County prosecutors have dropped obstruction of justice charges against Sheriff Tim Daugherty. Daugherty was to go on trial Monday in Lincolnton, but prosecutors dropped the charges after a judge rejected their motion to continue the case. Daugherty was facing two felony counts of obstruction of justice and a misdemeanor of making a false report to another officer. He had been accused of sidetracking an impaired-driving arrest of a local doctor. The Lincoln County District Attorney's office can file the charges again, but Monday's action means Daugherty can continue as sheriff. He also is eligible to file as a candidate for re-election this year. The State Bureau of Investigation found that Daugherty gave conflicting statements and evidence about learning his former chief deputy helped a local doctor avoid a DWI charge in 2007. The former chief deputy was convicted of misdemeanor obstruction of justice and fired. Daugherty is a first-term Democrat who says the charges are politically motivated. The all-Republican county commission wants to have Daugherty removed. (THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/08/10).