Former Walker County Deputy Reaches Deal With DOJ
A pretrial diversion agreement has been reached between former Walker County Sheriff's Deputy James “Matt” Handley and the U.S. Justice Department. He is accused of using excessive force during the arrest of Tony Mitchell and lying to a grand jury about it.
Handley was indicted in February of 2025 on deprivation of rights and witness tampering charges.
Under the diversion agreement Handley's prosecution is being diverted for 12 months beginning retroactively on Jan. 28 of this year. If he complies with all conditions, the indictment will be dismissed with prejudice.
Any violation of the agreement will result in the U.S. Attorney's Office revoking the agreement leading to resumption of his prosecution.
Handley and another former Walker County Deputy, Carl Carpenter, were among a number of Walker County Sheriff's Office and Jail personnel indicted for their role in the arrest and treatment of Tony Mitchell, who died while in custody in 2023.
Under the agreement with DOJ, Handley has his surrendered his Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) law enforcement certification. He has also agreed to “not seek employment as a sworn officer at any law enforcement agency on any level other than an unsworn position.
Other conditions of the agreement are:
- He must not violate any federal, state, or local law.
- He must not travel outside the United States.
- He must reside within the Northern District of Alabama unless his supervising probation officer approves a transfer.
- He must not possess a firearm, destructive device, or other weapon, except with prior permission from his supervising probation officer for employment purposes.
- He must not use or unlawfully possess a controlled substance.
- He must comply with all directives from his supervising U.S. Probation Officer.
A confidential settlement was reached last year in the federal civil case filed by the estate of Anthony "Tony" Mitchell against fifteen defendants including Sheriff Nick Smith and other employees of the Walker County sheriff's office and jail.
More From Tuscaloosa Thread
