Haywood Hamlet Found Guilty of Misdemeanor

CHARLOTTE COUNTY – Supervisor Haywood Hamlet appeared in Mecklenburg County court December 18 and was ultimately found guilty of a misdemeanor in connection with election proceedings for the Board of Supervisors for the coming year.

Hamlet had originally been charged with a felony count of making a false statement concerning an election form. In a plea agreement, Hamlet pleaded no contest to a charge of willful neglect or corrupt conduct.

Hamlet was found guilty of willful neglect of his duties by submitting petitions for election to the voter registrar which stated under oath he had been present for each petition signature as the law requires when, in fact, he had not been.

Mr. Hamlet received a 12-month suspended sentence, conditioned on two years of law abiding behavior and the payment of $1,000, $500 of which is a fine and $500 to go to a charity of his choice. He is not permitted to hold public office for two years.

Mr. Hamlet has chosen the FFA Alumni Association in memory of Carter White as his charity.

“I’m glad this is over,” Hamlet stated. “I’m disappointed in the way my opponent handled the election. I didn’t request her petitions, and voters were told if a convicted felon was elected he would have to resign. I don’t do business that way.

I gave this county the best 27 years of my life.”