Knott convicted on littering charges

By Staff
Melissa Cason
A Phil Campbell man pleaded guilty to a form of criminal littering Friday afternoon.
Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Doug Evans said Christopher Knott, 37, of 2733 Highway 237 in Phil Campbell, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to commit the crime of illegal accumulation of scrap tires, a lesser inclusive charge that stems from the illegal accumulation of scrap tires.
Evans said Knott was originally charged with five counts of illegal accumulation of scrap tires, illegal transportation of scrap tires, processing scrap tires, and criminal littering under the Alabama Scrap Tire Environmental Quality Act.
"Knott was basically charged with a form of felony littering under the statute," Evans said. "However, the language in the law made it difficult to see the felony charges to court."
Evans said the way the law is worded, breaking this law would be a violation, and the word "violation" is a misdemeanor.
"When there is a question of whether a crime is a felony or a misdemeanor, we are instructed to go with the lesser charge," he said.
Evans said this is the first time someone has been charged with this form of felony littering that he is aware of.
"I know this is the first time in Franklin County, but I haven't heard of the charge being made anywhere else in the state, either," he said. "We believe this is a first time someone has been indicted on felony charges under this act."
Evans wrote a letter to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management urging them to have lawmakers make the wording of the law more clear to prosecutors.
Knott was sentenced to one year in prison on three counts of attempting to commit illegal accumulation of scrap tires. The sentence was suspended with two years probation based on the following conditions: serving four weekends in the Franklin County Detention Center, cleaning up the affected areas, paying court costs and disclosing information on those who gave him the tires.