By Gary Lloyd
COLUMBIANA — Youth evangelist and The Basement founder Matt Pitt is scheduled to be released from Shelby County Jail on Palm Sunday.
Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk Mary Harris said Palm Sunday, April 13, is the date calculated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
“The date is conditioned on good time, which we do not have access to because we have no way of knowing of any ‘violations’ he might have while serving his time, which would have an impact on his release date,” Harris said.
One of Pitt’s attorneys, Brian Ritchey, released this statement Wednesday: “We are excited about Matt’s release from detention in Shelby County on Palm Sunday and are mindful of the significance of this time of year. Matt has had a unique opportunity to reach many, many people who are in need of his energy and passion for spreading the Good News. He feels blessed to have had the opportunity to minister to them during his incarceration. But this episode needs to end and as a result we are withdrawing our Petition in Shelby County and are focusing our efforts on clearing his name in Jefferson County. We also have appreciation for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Jail in how they have tried to accommodate Matt’s family, friends and his legal team. The family requests a few weeks of privacy once he is released so they can enjoy this time with him without distraction.”
Pitt in September 2012 pleaded guilty to impersonating a peace officer after he allegedly pulled behind traffic on Interstate 65 near Calera in May 2012 and activated flashing blue lights.
In August 2013, Pitt was charged with the same offense in Jefferson County relating to a June 2013 incident in Grayson Valley, in which he presented a Jefferson County honorary sheriff’s badge to Vessels and Lunsford after the two Grayson Valley residents found what they believed to be a rifle about 50 feet into the wooded area near their homes.
Read the latest about the Jefferson County case here.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.