James Graves

Prosecutors have filed to revoke the bond of former Cullman County Commission Chairman James Graves following his latest arrest for allegedly tampering with a witness in a sex abuse case against him.

Additionally, attorneys for Graves filed a motion to change his not guilty plea on the first-degree sexual abuse charge to not guilty by mental disease or defect. Cullman County sheriff’s investigators arrested Graves, 74, Thursday on the misdemeanor witness tampering charge. He was released on a $6,000 bond, conditional on Graves not having any contact with the witness and his or her family.

From early May to Aug. 15, Graves is accused of attempted to induce a witness to give false testimony, withhold testimony or not appear to testify, according to the criminal complaint filed in Cullman County District Court.

District judges Rusty Turner and Kim Chaney and circuit judges Martha Williams and Greg Nicholas have all recused themselves from the sex abuse case. Acting Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Lyn Stuart reassigned the case to retired Madison County Circuit Judge Sterling Watson, Jr.

Turner, Chaney and Williams have also recused themselves from the witness tampering case, leaving it to Nicholas for reassignment. If the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office’s motion to revoke Graves’ bond is approved, he could be held in the Cullman County Detention Center until trial.

Graves was first arrested in May after allegedly admitting to sheriff’s investigators he molested a 17-year-old on more than one occasion. According to the sheriff’s office, the arrest was precipitated by the alleged victim coming forward after the most recent encounter with Graves allegedly took place.

Graves was elected as chairman of the Cullman County Commission in 2008. He had served as county administrator before winning election to the seat. He was defeated in a re-election bid and again sought re-election but was defeated in his party primary.

He was removed from his seat on the local Republican Party Executive Committee after reading the news that Graves had been arrested.

If convicted, he could face between one year and one day to 10 years in prison.