Judge Dismisses Felony Theft Charge Against Northport Councilwoman

NORTHPORT, AL — A felony charge has been dismissed in the case of a Northport city councilwoman accused of theft in November 2021.

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According to court records obtained by Patch, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Allen May in late August dismissed the Theft I charge against District 1 Councilwoman Christy Bobo, who was indicted during the 2021 October Grand Jury session.

Bobo also confirmed to Patch that the lone felony charge had been dismissed, but opted against commenting further on the litigation.

As Patch previously reported, the details of the case are related to a family matter and not involving Bobo's role in city government. The councilwoman confirmed as much to Patch immediately following her arrest, saying the accusations stemmed from a dispute regarding the estates of her deceased parents.

The motion to dismiss the charge states that the property at issue in the case — valuing more than $2,500 — had been returned to the victim and/or their representative and the victim no longer wished to pursue criminal charges.

At the time of her arrest, Bobo said the matters had been in civil court for some time with pending upcoming court dates, going on to call the criminal accusations an "attempt to abuse the system for financial gain to sway the civil cases already undergoing extensive litigation. ... Trying to attach a criminal charge is nothing more than a ploy to gain an advantage in a civil matter to try to stir up charges that are simply not true."

Per Alabama state law, Bobo can now apply for expungement of the felony charge that remains on her record — the existence of which does not impact her eligibility to serve in office since the charge was dismissed. Only those convicted of a felony are barred from holding public office in Alabama.

In September 2021, Bobo was sworn in as the first woman ever appointed to a Northport City Council seat and went on to win her first full term in office the following November.

Following the shakeup in City Hall that saw District 3 Councilman and Council President Pro Tem John Hinton become the city's mayor, Bobo was unanimously elected earlier this month to replace him as pro tem.

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