Walton County undersheriff 's son arrested, gets early hearing at jail

Greg Chapman, son of Walton County Undersheriff Bill Chapman, got out of jail quicker than most after being arrested Wednesday on a misdemeanor battery charge.

Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Wells was called to the Walton County Jail about 11 p.m. to give Chapman a first appearance hearing so that he could be provided a bond.

Wells confirmed that he held the first appearance hearing at night rather than waiting until the next day, as is normal. Wells said he did not know what time he went to the jail.

Bill Chapman said he received a call after his son’s arrest. He said he was told that the emergency first appearance hearing was rare but not unheard of in Walton County.

“They indicated they have done this in the past and that the judge, if called, would come down and take care of it,” he said. “The judge doesn’t have to, but that’s what happened.”

The Walton County Commission oversees the county jail. Sheriff Mike Adkinson said he learned that an exception was made for the younger Chapman because of his and his father’s ties to law enforcement.

“In Greg’s case, he was a former law enforcement officer,” Adkinson said. “He’d have had to be held in solitary confinement, anyway.”

Greg Chapman has worked with the Niceville Police Department and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Bill Chapman said.

Adkinson said the jail sometimes calls a judge to ask that someone be bonded out for security reasons or for a medical condition that would make holding him or her overnight difficult.

Larry Caskey, Okaloosa County corrections director, said he knew of no occasion at the Okaloosa jail in which a judge was called to give a particular inmate a first appearance hearing.

“I’m not aware of it happening here before,” he said. “I’m not familiar with a judge doing that in a single case, and former law enforcement guys come through the system from time to time.”

Adkinson said he knew last week that the younger Chapman was going to be arrested, but said he didn’t hear about Wells’ being called until the day after Chapman’s release.

Greg Chapman, 41, was arrested at 4:38 p.m. Wednesday after his girlfriend claimed he punched her in the face, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

The arresting officer noted swelling to the woman’s face and a cut on the inside of her lip.

A warrant also was issued for the girlfriend’s arrest, Adkinson said.