Statement given by Bowman; Attorney Notes
Working File
August 18, 1981

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Case Files, Bozeman & Wilder Working Files. Statement given by Bowman; Attorney Notes, 1981. 71c45fd4-ed92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/777eaee3-e5c2-45d8-b127-243f25760a05/statement-given-by-bowman-attorney-notes. Accessed July 13, 2025.
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St:ltenrent given by Jeffery Dale Bowman' August 18' 1981 ' ,..l,le and W:1t t.jhltman were walkin8 by the Sherlff ,S ca.r, The Sheriff and Pitt l.Iilson rere settlng on the car with a HalexwiLLe nerspaper. The paper was oPned to the sectLon where people voted. at. The Sherlff iald,: "Jeff, you vote at the recreatlon center ln Ha1ep111e' don,t you?" I ""fa,--iherlff, f t"Jfy d'on;t-thlnk I can votr '@use I'm se:rrlng tfuoe on felony charges for the state. The Sirerlff sald " pltt lrllson wr1I ca*y you and the other - boys who have to vote ln Haleyvilre tonarrow, y'a1I do whatever pltt ter-rs you to do.'' The next day pitt ca:ried rr= to-x.re1rui11e, Wait Wi:itman voted. at Ashrid6e, r voted at the recreation center 1n Haleyville, naniarr rr:ck and }Jillard Sanford' voted at the city Halr in Haleyvi}le, then pltt brought us back. The boys who voted ln Double Sprlngs were just then gettlngback.PlttgotthenatthetopofthestalrsgolngonthewaytothejallandSave everbod.y ten dollars a p1ece, and, told' everbod'y he realIy d1d' appreclate lt' Acoup}eofmonthslater,PittWilsoncaJnebackuptothejailroomandtalkedtothesane - boys who vorec 1n the primary electlon. He said he need'ec us to vote again and we would ha're to vote absentee ballots in "-oyce Marti'n's office' He earried us all to Joyce Martin's offlce io ..cie. Af+,er we voted, we all went back "o the Same place and r+ere 6iven five Collars aPie ce . Questions ask Jeff Bownan by Pollce Chief Steve Roberts, August 18' 1981' Chief Roberts: "Jeff do You Ianow of dead PeoPle or of any tnrstees who p:t ballots in ballot boxes ln names others who were not qua-lified to vote?" given this statement of my oun free will and rithou:' ieff : ,,Yes, llichael Joe Rlch told me wl:en I first turned in, November 1l' 1978' tha.t. he' pr:t several ballots that were no 6ood in the absentee boxes so he woufd tlave speclal trrrivleges while he was lncarce:ated'' chief Foberts: " Dld. Mlchael Joe Rlch te]1 you who ord'ered hlm to do this?" Jeff 3 ', yes " -He. sald the Sherlff told hlm to do anythlng he could ' cause the turn-out wasn't looking good' chlef Roberts: " Dld. anyone else that you Imow hear'Iiichael Joe Rlch say this about these ballots? " Jeff r "Yes, Walt llhltman and Fobert Allen' chlef Foberts: " Jeff, d,o you know of any other iIIegaI acts done by the sheriff or anyone in his dePartnent?" Jeff : " No, not rlght-off-hand" I, Jeff Eowman hereby state t'hat f iave promise of any favors ;ersonal or legaI ' t -.-\rn^\- ,)r(* W.r-* v\b, O^^"-'"^- 0'-+- A-)t'l+*- Urr/^fr^o,\-, t'r\-.. ru6#r-A, tq S t I J]4, d.a 6pezg il/cttt,;** P, &!/e)il, /tr4 ,J & r,U- J/.4/ taa. aL^*-;->, /-- P^A A*.L urt d- k<i{- /fr/- &" Dl* uUc,4/cr,tt .. tu C4tdil I o^*u- ^A-, Q-4-' + ry* x-*a-:*f 'A- L w a oE--L ., l.t (p*tt-, J a.e^+lL , A,^* + J. aLA-Lt LL J/*,./L ^J+-"td- W*+ o% ''-''*tJ oA* b"LL P4^-,>^,. ),: c/L" "(o6- * tJ< 4lL&n\ *dU4 u\l $kJ.rL L-a--t<- *n-d !-rq rt\-L' o'^'1 % ry 4;JL \a^a- ..4* d-t il- d,$4^l-+{- a-,^.t Til ;a}; A}:^* p*c+rfr,Wl La/J "-\d- AJz LA/a-L TO O'tlJ;dJ4, vt/'/*Lt- ,.!- oa"L 1e,L t 4-e- Jt'*/d,1y'l* JA'44- *eru (o',r'z ,,.r- Wrtt ;,L frJ r4?,t-L"Ar;-L.L L ,: a7* Q- ^*j !,y' *". U"r* ,)- vJa.a, Lo"\r; "L ^r*k 1^ t,Lt e4^-,4 "LUrA. .,(- d 64- ) *<Le e O^r*L '.P J''t'* e; J- U*' ,yr(r/r?h d- *lL u{az 6- Tn-fii- , A,xd- ^"'- rrtqt * ,t/* MC !440W / u1a^a- 4arwqc( A ddlr- a6a-;-,,v C; # 4- A^-q uU-D,, N,U 3'a4'\1- \'71't- L*) d,st/aA. /tt- t)y.t;L- b. da.y' (%vDb' cla4 &"L J ;;[-, g,4L -5,*,earl' u*^a- J-^V^L *"d- Sr ar-ll- J,*IL o-(.,4A L/v'-t-, Oil qa'u-'& d---- a.^- -ti *r!;i;]i,- {D dAJ- o-r\d- o&A 141L-"u1J,- &a!.-("rw " o'{z-,,t-t- /ec ,et ,!-, U\a,!-lorv t*Wn lt*4 pfa*- A"*- L A"*'-- ^; d^b dan,ud- 4 ry a:^'- f'tt da *<d- unld/.*,t- gnarx;a* pd-ro*rlif (*,,atru ptru^n^L o-l<n-{, 0"3d a?, r*3\ ;"-,1fl4;r-;.- J-I o/^ -r:r=' j1.',,i. ,{.Jfl;,fiir.^r //_gt'.gi.,ii tffi-.d/. &-*zzz 'h---r,.,/ tr" rZi;c- /-/*4 {ryZ l zfa-* z//*zt-.- ot- z4z*4 j-r-ru^, @,71;7-,oz,JAL44 il4