Sheriff candidate interview videos to be shown publicly - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports

SMITH COUNTY (TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH) - The Board of Directors of Grassroots America voted unanimously to hold a one-time public viewing of the board's video interviews with the two remaining candidates in the runoff election for Sheriff of Smith County.

The viewing will be from 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lakeview Church of the Nazarene, 10818 University Blvd. in Tyler. The total run time on the videos is 2 hrs. 15 minutes.

JoAnn Fleming, the group's executive director, consulted an attorney regarding personal statements made in the course of the interviews by one of the candidates. Although the names used refer to individuals in their official capacities as elected officials, appointed officials, or law enforcement officers, the Board wanted to make sure that the organization would not open itself up to litigation if it offered these videos for a one-time viewing.

Candidate Chris Green's campaign had requested the tapes be made available to the public. Green, a retired game warden and Larry Smith, a retired Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officer, will face each other in the July 31 GOP primary runoff. Because there is no Democrat running, the winner of the primary will become the next sheriff.