HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Six months after he was arrested and charged with four counts of theft, Huntsville city councilman Devyn Keith had his day in court.
Two of the four charges were dismissed and Keith pled guilty on two charges. He received a 90-day suspended sentence and two years probation on one charge and a 180-day suspended sentence and two years probation on the other charge. He will also do 50 hours of community service and is banned from Walmart.
In a prepared statement, Keith said:
"Thank you to my family, my friends, and my community. I'm so grateful for you. Through this very tough time, you all have not only been a tremendous blessing in my life: praying for me, sowing wisdom and love into me, by you've kept me going. Some days by inspiring me to keep moving forward and other days you just picked me up and carried me. I'd also like tp thank my legal counsel for guiding me through this process, and also the many, many others who took the opportunity to be kind, to encourage me, to call, or to write. Thank you all.
"I've has 6 months to gather my thoughts and attempt to write the correct words for this moment. I've written and erased many words, many times, but my heart consistently seems to reflect one thing, growth.
"My entire life I have believed in accountability. To fight for the fair share of all. I brought that perspective to City Council, and even through this entire ordeal I have never moved from that position. Accountability is important to me, I have nothing but respect towards the State and Walmart Representatives.
"Now, the agreement that was reached today acknowledges that I was negligent, and I was careless in scanning items, and that, in fact, makes me wrong. Therefore, because I was wrong, from the beginning, I expressed to the state that I would pay full restitution for those items, including additional fees. I have even offered to do more community hours than what was given by the state, as I believe deeply in accountability. The agreement also acknowledges that two of the charges were dropped. My lawyer and I were able to review the evidence, and I was able to provide my lawyer with bank statements that contested the allegations. In some instances, we could show on video that I simply didn't just take the allegedly stolen items.
"Nevertheless, the agreement does hold me accountable for my negligence in the past year. As failure to scan items such skittles, butterfingers, and $20 headphones, if I didn't pay for an item, I am wrong. It was never my intent to not scan these items.
"I can't express enough that I do understand the gravity of this moment. Throughout these past 6 months, I have received extremely hateful emails and letters. I have been called every name in the book of racial slurs. In February, there was wall-to-wall coverage of the allegations against me every night on every local channel for two weeks straight. It was printed in a New York City tabloid and covered by political commentators all the way in California.
"I mention this to really illustrate that I deeply understand the responsibility that comes with being a public official, in as much as the blessing it is to represent the best people on this side of heaven.
"Yes, I stand here today as an individual, but people care about this case because if my position as a City Councilman. In some professions you get to go home and take off the uniform, but as an elected public servant, I don't get to do that. When I go to the store, I'm Councilman Devyn Keith. When I'm at church, I'm Councilman Devyn Keith. I've often found that even at home, I'm still living the role of public servant. However, that's not a burden, that's a privilege. A privilege that I will never again take lightly.
"The care, the attention to detail, the mindfulness, the character, the good judgement, and the integrity that by God's grace I have fought to being to City Hall for the past 7 years, it must extend everywhere that I go and all that I do. I promise that moving forward, it will.
"Lastly, I would like to reiterate an apology to my family, my friends, my district, and my city. I have spoken to so many of you privately, but publicly I'd like to apologize again for any negative attention my actions have brought. You are all wonderful, and doing amazing things for this city, and I don't ever again want to do anything that takes the spotlight off of you and puts the focus on me.
"While this moment does not define me, I have learned from it.
"I am wiser and better because of it, I have grown. As I have stated before, I am a better man today than I was on February 2, 2023. Though my public growth comes with public growing pains, I believe the lessons that I am learning will far outweigh the trials I have had to endure to receive them.
"Again, I apologize but moreoever, I'm grateful."