Every prosecutor campaigns on the same promise: tough on crime. But there’s a question rarely asked on the stump: Tough on whom?
For District Attorney Ashley Welch, just across the mountains in Western North Carolina, the answer is etched in court records. Since June 2025, Welch has systematically used the power of her office to dismantle a culture of impunity, filing formal petitions to suspend or remove three sitting sheriffs in Swain, Graham, and Cherokee counties.
She didn't treat allegations of abuse as political static; she treated them as legal emergencies.
In June 2025, Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran was charged with serious crimes, including sexual battery and abuse of office. Welch immediately filed a petition to suspend and remove him. A judge suspended him pending further proceedings. Cochran resigned before the removal hearing concluded.
Weeks later, Welch filed another removal petition — this time against Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit — alleging misuse of authority. Again, a judge suspended the sheriff while the case moved forward.
In Cherokee County, amid mounting operational failures, Welch publicly declared she had lost confidence in Sheriff Dustin Smith. He announced his retirement soon after. Three sheriffs. Formal petitions. Judicial review. Consequences. Welch did not treat allegations against law enforcement as political disputes. She treated them as legal events.
But in Monroe County, Tennessee, a different—and far more disturbing—test of "toughness" is unfolding. While North Carolina invokes the law to protect the public from the police, Monroe County appears to be using the media to protect the police from the law.
