Tallassee Mayor John Hammock has filed for divorce following a domestic violence strangulation charge against him in Baldwin County claiming he is a victim.
Hammock’s wife Kimberly was served divorce papers by a bailiff just before a hearing for a protection for abuse (PFA) she filed following an incident in Orange Beach that left her bruised, with a broken tooth and unconscious from an alleged “beating” by John.
Circuit Court Judge Sibley Reynolds now finds himself in the middle of allegations of months of harmful conduct between the Tallassee mayor and first lady.
“We have very significant evidence including videos of a destroyed house, a video of this lady putting a gun to her head and threatening to kill herself,” John’s attorney Kendrick James told Reynolds.
James alleged Kim had chased John around their Tallassee home with knives and damaging the tires of John’s truck. James said in December John went to the Tallassee Police Department after an attack by Kim “scratched up.”
James said John has text messages from Kim with photographs of parts of a gun.
“It says to the effect, ‘I will do it now,’” James said. “...We can prove she has chased him with guns and knives. This has harmed his reputation and affected his run for office.”
James alleged Kim has a number of issues.
“She has a severe alcohol problem,” James said. “She drinks constantly. She went to rehab in 2018. She has ripped pictures off the walls, smashed computers. She has threatened to kill herself.”
James said there are videos of some of the incidents in the home on the couple’s Google Nest system. James tried to get Reynolds to watch one video John had. According to court records, James had also subpoenaed four Tallassee Police Department officers for the hearing. The police officers were never called.
James argued the order from Reynolds was unnecessary as more stringent conditions were placed on John as conditions of bond in Baldwin County.
“Everything in place in the PFA is already in place in the criminal case and more,” James said. “You would not order an ankle monitor, but he is wearing one now so they know where he is at all times.”
Kim’s attorney Clyde Bailey argued John should have done something long before the Orange Beach incident if John felt threatened.
“Through all these allegations, he did nothing,” Bailey said. “They lived together as husband and wife. He wasn’t afraid of her. He didn’t file anything for protection from her.”
Bailey said the reason for Monday’s PFA hearing was clear and the circumstances surrounding the request are from the Orange Beach incident.
“He absolutely attacked her. He hit her hard enough to break a tooth. He broke a molar, that isn’t easy to break. Beat her, she was badly bruised. He didn’t just put his hands around her — choked her out — choked until she passed out. She wakes up in the floor. He threatened to kill her while he choked her.”
While John was in the Baldwin County Jail, James said Kim wouldn’t answer John’s calls to help establish an address for conditions to be released on bond.
“While he is in jail not able to make bond, she goes and changes the locks on all the doors and changes the passwords on all their accounts including the Google Nest account that has the videos on it.”
James said newspaper headlines would read, “Abuse order upheld.” James argued leaving the order in place would be prejudicial to John.
“There is going to be some inference he has done something wrong because it's still in place,” James said.
Reynolds said until a final hearing or trial, law requires him to leave the PFA order in place.
“If she says she is scared of you, that is sufficient for this court to enter the order,” Reynolds said. “There is no inference drawn from that because we have not had a trial where testimony was taken. I can’t make it both ways. I’m specially prohibited from making it both ways.”
Reynolds said he didn’t understand why John stayed in the home so long.
“I’m wondering why would you stay together if there is gunplay, knife play, attacks,” Reynolds said. “Why wouldn’t he just get away? “
James reminded Reynolds John filed the divorce.
“Yes, not that he stayed in jail five days,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds ordered Kim to give John access to the Google Nest and is also permitting John one hour to retrieve personal belongings.
“Clothes and personal items mean clothes and tooth brush and hair spray,” Reynolds said. “Don’t mess with anything else.”
Reynolds reminded John of the conditions of the PFA.
“Leave her alone means this,” Reynolds said. “Don’t call, don’t write, don’t text, don’t think about, don’t drive by, don’t wave, no smoke signals no nothing. Do not breathe the same air.”
And Reynolds reminded John of the consequences for violating the PFA order.
“The only way I have of enforcing that is if I find out there has been a violation of that order, I will send Elmore County sheriffs,” Reynolds said. “They will package you up and bring you to jail and just keep you. There is no bond for that.”