BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Former Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb countered allegations of bookkeeping and file “sabotage” made by incoming District Attorney Hallie Dixon, and said the new district attorney’s comments were made to divert attention from her failures.

Newcomb also said Dixon had an expired law license when she won the November General Election, and renewed the license in January, days before taking office.

Newcomb said she and her staff attempted to “totally cooperate” with Dixon during the transition period, but offers were refused.

“The office is not in chaos and there has been no sabotage,” Newcomb said. “Instead of doing her job, she is doing a blame game. She makes promises she won’t keep and is blaming her failures on others.”

Newcomb said during a two-year tenure as an assistant prosecutor and ultimate promotion to chief assistant District Attorney before leaving in 2008, Dixon caused a mass exodus of prosecutors.

“Only one lawyer who worked with her during that period stayed,” Newcomb said. “They got tired of the blame game.”

During a press conference Tuesday, Dixon said she arrived for duty last week and was “climbing a mountain of chaos.” She cited grant files out of order, the discovery of five off-site storage bins, a portable storage unit known as a “pod” in Mobile County, cases years old mixed with closed files, and thousands of dollars of electronics.

“I was shocked at the taxpayer waste,” Dixon told reporters. “There are some cases never prosecuted from 2006 to 2007 of people who have lost a loved one. The trial of Mr. Nodine is incredibly important, but no more important than any other murder case.

“It would be irresponsible of me not to turn over every rock.”

During the transition period, Dixon said she unsuccessfully requested an appointment and office space to gear-up for office.

Newcomb said she was involved in three murder trials, but took time to set up an office for Dixon in October. On Nov. 3, she said she sent a letter to Dixon stating there was an office in Fairhope with an assigned assistant where Dixon could review cases and meet with docket attorneys.

Newcomb said Dixon came to the office Nov. 16, stayed two hours, then left and said to return the files.

Newcomb also said she was concerned about Dixon’s legal status as an attorney.

“The public can’t view investigative files by law,” Newcomb said. “You have to be an attorney or member of a law enforcement agency.”

Angela Parks, a spokesperson for the Alabama State Bar in Montgomery, said Wednesday that Dixon was a “special member” in good standing. “If you don’t pay your fees, you are moved to inactive status. It’s an administrative matter, not a disciplinary matter.”

Newcomb said the pod contained furniture in storage which cannot be sold under state law and must be returned to Montgomery.

Dixon was not immediately available for comment.

“She (Dixon) saw the contents when she worked here, and was told about the off-site files which we have had for 25 years,” Newcomb said. “She has been in them. It would astound me if any pending files were in storage.”

Former District Attorney David Whetstone said he would be “shocked” if Newcomb left legal, financial and administrative records in disarray, but added he has not seen examples of the alleged chaos.

“She said the word ‘sabotage,’ which means with intent,” Whetstone said. “That is a serious charge when you are dealing with government records. It’s one thing to be sloppy and toss records in a corner. It’s another thing to deliberately tamper with intent.”

Whetstone said Dixon should hire an independent agency to review files and financial records to prevent the specter of manipulation.

“There are literally thousands of cases,” he said. It’s like a MASH unit. They just keep coming.”

He said he and Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack unsuccessfully tried to assist in the change of office.

“This is what happens when there is not a smooth transition,” Whetstone said. “The county is bigger and much more complex than when I was in office. Hoss and I tried. Unfortunately, we failed. My advice is to calm down, pitch in and make it work. I will assist if asked and so will Hoss.