Appeals Court Reverses Greene County Rape Conviction, Orders Case Back To Trial Court

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed the first-degree rape conviction of a Greene County man accused of sexually assaulting a minor, sending the case back to the trial court following a directive from the Alabama Supreme Court.

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In a ruling issued Friday, the court vacated the conviction of William Chad Randolph, who had been found guilty in June 2023 of raping his 16-year-old niece.

The conviction came following accusations stemming from an incident that occurred in the summer of 2020.

Randolph was sentenced to 120 months in prison but was ordered to serve 36 months behind bars followed by two years of supervised probation.

The prosecution’s initial case against Randolph relied heavily on the victim’s account, along with other investigative findings.

A key piece of evidence presented to the jury came from a Walker County Department of Human Resources (DHR) supervisor who investigated the allegations.

During the trial, the DHR supervisor took the stand and testified that the agency concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the victim’s claims.

That testimony later became central to Randolph’s appeal following his conviction.

Randolph’s attorneys argued that the DHR investigator’s statements improperly bolstered the credibility of the accuser and crossed a legal line by effectively telling jurors the allegations were true based on DHR's findings.

The issue prompted scrutiny in early in the appeals process, including a dissenting judge warning that the testimony went beyond permissible bounds.

Court records show the DHR supervisor told jurors that the agency found “enough evidence to support the allegations” after its investigation. This conclusion was reportedly reached after interviewing multiple individuals, including at least one person who did not testify at trial .

The dissent argued that this amounted to an official endorsement of the accusation against Randolph, rather than simply presenting facts for the jury to evaluate.

While the Court of Criminal Appeals had previously affirmed Randolph’s conviction, the Alabama Supreme Court later reviewed the case and instructed the lower appellate court to reconsider its decision.

Following that review, the appeals court reversed the conviction and remanded the case to the Greene County Circuit Court for proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion.

It should be pointed out that the reversal does not dismiss the charges against Randolph. Instead, it resets the case procedurally, allowing it to move forward again in Greene County.

Prosecutors have the option to pursue a new trial, potentially without the disputed testimony or with different evidence, while the defense for Randolph may seek additional relief based on the appellate findings.

No court date has yet been set for further proceedings as of the publication of this story.

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