BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Legal bills have surpassed $40,000 for county officials involved in an FBI probe to determine the intent of  audio and video recording devices placement in the county’s courthouses and administration areas.

Meanwhile, a team of 30 FBI agents sent from Washington have been interviewing judges, the District Attorney’s Office,  Baldwin County Commissioners and Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack.

Mack said Friday the investigation is not closed and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has not signed off the case.

“The focus of the investigation is the Commission, the Probate Office and the sheriff because we are the ones with the hard drives,” Mack said.  “I have received no official documents.”

The Commission complied with a U.S. District Court order in November to mitigate alleged legal repercussions of eavesdropping devices at the county’s three courthouses by allowing federal authorities full access to video and audio recording and county property in the wake of a perceived scandal involving attorney-client conversations and comments by citizens in range of the devices.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Justice officials also were given a free hand to view or copy or take county property regarding the investigation with the signature of Commission Chairman Bob James.

Since then, Mack has approved payments of $3,135.90 to Masters, Hyde and Willford, and $1,500 to attorney David York. Last fall, former District Attorney David Whetstone was representing Mack and Probate Judge Tim Russell. It is not clear if Whetstone’s recent appointment by state Attorney General Luther Strange as a supernumerary prosecutor required removal of his representation.

Russell and Whetstone did not immediately return calls.

The Baldwin County Commission paid $495 in legal fees in October, $30,582 in November, $5,150 in December, and $417 in January according to County Administrator David Brewer.

That figure does not include $7,500 in retainer fees approved for Commissioners Charles “Skip” Gruber and Frank Burt.

District Attorney Hallie Dixon confronted judicial and security officials Oct. 31 when she learned about the audio addition. She contacted the U.S. Attorney General’s office to initiate an investigation.

“I was not included in any Courthouse Security Committee meetings or discussions regarding the placement of courthouse audio/video surveillance equipment,” Dixon said Friday in an email response. “I was not aware that the courthouse cameras had audio-recording capabilities prior to October, when I learned that a number of these audio-video cameras were placed around the courthouse — including the District Attorney’s employee break area on a porch outside our private entrance to the courthouse.

“I instructed that the audio equipment be immediately disabled and removed. Since then, I have been interviewed three times by federal officials regarding the inquiry, but I am not at liberty to disclose details.” 

Dixon said she has not hired an attorney.

Presiding Circuit Judge Jim Reid, who ordered all units disabled, said he was interviewed by FBI agents in November.

“They asked  me generally what knowledge I had of the surveillance system that was installed. My response was generally that I knew that we had received a grant for the system but that I had no specific input into the placement or operation of the system. I have not hired an attorney, nor have I incurred any legal fees.”

Circuit Clerk Jody Campbell, who serves on the Courthouse Security Committee with Reid, Mack, Dixon and District Judge Jody Bishop, said she was interviewed, but has no plans to hire an attorney.

“I told the FBI that no one got information about the location or placement of the devices,” Campbell said. “I don’t think things were done on purpose, or that there were bad intentions. There’s no reason to harm any case.”

Campbell said she thought the units were intended for use in a hostage situation to communicate and listen to perpetrators to negotiate terms — not for eavesdropping on the public or attorney-client conversations.

“I’m not sure when things got crazy,” she said. “At one point there were 30 FBI agents from Washington down here. They asked if Roberts Rules of Order was used in the meetings and I told them it was informal.

“That’s not the best way. Hindsight is 20-20.”