Hester said he suspected her of taking other records "to cover up for her boy friend," Byrd.

Another article about Ray Byrd and Pam Edwards.....how much of this still applies today

Byline:GEORGE WELLS Perry County Sheriff James Hester testified Wednesday that he fired Pam Edwards as a secretary partly because of office disruptions caused by "this entanglement in a love affair" with former Sheriff Ray Byrd. He also told federal Judge Elsijane T. Roy that he had decided in November to fire Edwards because of problems with her work, although he did not fire her until December 18. He said he did not base his decision on the fact that she had testified before a Perry County Grand Jury. Judge Roy took the case under advisement after the close of testimony, saying she was concerned about the timing of the dismissal one day after a Grand Jury indicted Hester and with Edwards "performance record," which was described as very poor by Hester and other former co-workers. Edwards contends she was fired because she testified before the Grand Jury. She said that violated her First Amendment rights and asked for $ 110,000 in damages and reinstatement. She testified Tuesday at the beginning of the trial, and Wednesday Hester contradicted several points of her testimony. He said, for example, that a state auditor had been the first person to tell him a receipt book was missing. Edwards had said she told Hester first. Hester said he also suspected her of taking other records from the office "to cover up for her boy friend," Byrd. Edwards married Byrd in January. Hester said they began dating about May when each still was married to someone else and Hester said the controversy surrounding that "affair" embarrassed his office, affected the morale of his staff and disrupted operations. The sheriff also said Edwards was so preoccupied with her relationship with Byrd that she ignored her regular duties as secretary and jailer. Before firing Edwards, Hester suspended her and notified her that her case would be heard three days later by the County Advisory Board.At the hearing, he presented six reasons for firing her, including the missing receipt book, allegedly taking sick leave while working at another job and allegedly having an affair with a married man. Edwards testified Tuesday that Hester had never criticized her work and that the first she knew of any of his complaints on the list was the night of the hearing. Judge Roy asked Hester why he "waited so long" to fire Edwards if he suspected her of the various allegations. Hester said he suspected her of taking other records "to cover up for her boy friend," Byrd.