SPRINGFIELD - Effingham County Sheriff Jay Space has abused painkillers and other prescription drugs since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year. <br>
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That's according to court papers seeking to remove the sheriff from office. <br>
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The 40-year-old Space was arrested on drug charges yesterday, three weeks after Governor Barnes suspended him for 60 days. Barnes said the sheriff's illness had rendered him unfit for duty, but did not mention drugs. <br>
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The arrest means Space now faces criminal prosecution on felony charges as well as losing the job he was elected to in 1996 and 2000. <br>
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Court papers filed yesterday by District Attorney Joe Martin say Space's drug use, reckless driving and bizarre behavior prove he needs to be permanently removed from office. <br>
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The papers seek a civil trial in which a jury would decide whether to force Space from office. No hearing dates have been set. <br>
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The documents also detail accounts of Space's odd behavior. In one, Space pesters a female county employee about the color of her underwear. In another, he literally stomps on Georgia's new state flag. <br>
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Space's attorneys, Herman Coolidge and Bobby Phillips, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. <br>
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Before his suspension, Space declared several times he could do his job while battling MS, a degenerative disease that causes loss of muscle control. <br>
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Court records say Space illegally bought drugs without a prescription 24 times between May 2001, a month before the sheriff announced he had MS, and last month.
