Wednesday morning, in a Covington courtroom, yet another St. Tammany politico saw his legacy dashed upon the rocks of a criminal conviction.
Randy Smith, who until 1 p.m. Wednesday was the sheriff in the stateโs fourth most populous parish, to felony battery and misdemeanor disturbing-the-peace charges stemming from a May incident in a Madisonville steakhouse.
In entering his plea, agreed to two years of probation and promised to complete an alcohol addiction program โ which, once completed, will allow his charges to be reduced to a misdemeanor.
He also entered his name into the long and dishonorable ranks of St. Tammany politicians who have found themselves on the wrong side of the criminal justice system.
That list includes Smith's predecessor, former sheriff Jack Strain, whom Smith defeated in 2015. Strain later was convicted of multiple sex crimes and is serving life in prison.
It also includes longtime district attorney Walter Reed, who opted not to run for reelection in 2014 amid a federal investigation into his handling of official business and use of campaign funds. He was indicted the following year and later convicted of wire fraud and money laundering and served federal time.
Same for former St. Tammany coroner Peter Galvan, who pleaded guilty in 2013 to federal and state corruption charges and served time in prison.
Compared to those other cases, which took months or years to play out in the courts, Smithโs fall was incredibly fast. It was only on May 29 that, after helping run up a $300 bar tab at Keith Youngโs in Madisonville, he pulled a man named Bobby Couvillion off his bar stool and pounded him as they crashed to the floor.
A week later, Smith was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail. Less than a month after the original incident, he has already pleaded guilty and resigned.
By doing so, he becomes just the latest pin to puncture St. Tammanyโs overinflated view of itself.
The irony on the northshore is rich. A parish so known for its โtough on crimeโ mentality that itโs been called St. Slammany now has its own collection of corrupt former officials. Its record rivals even New Orleans, which St. Tammany officials and residents love to disdain as hopelessly corrupt.
Itโs no wonder that St. Tammanyโs residents have such skepticism of government; their politicians keep reminding them how power corrupts.
In another amusing twist, Smithโs plea came just three days before voters go to the polls on, you guessed it, a tax to support the sheriffโs office.
Worries about the vote likely fueled the caseโs quick resolution. St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Collin Sims hopes, of course, that Smithโs plea will persuade voters that the stain has been erased from the agency and therefore itโs OK to vote yes.
But with recent history โ not to mention current events โ can anybody really blame them if they say no?