We were as surprised as anyone to learn Sheriff Mike Blakely had been indicted on ethics and theft charges Thursday in a case presented by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.

The indictment accuses 68-year-old Blakely of taking money from his own campaign fund and from the pistol permit fund, identified in the indictment as the “Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Fund.” He’s also accused of taking money, earmarked for inmates, from a safe and then using his position to obtain no-interest loans to repay the money.

The allegations are shocking, and if Blakely is found guilty, it will be a sad end to his long legacy of public service.

The gravity of the situation was made worse by an arrogant statement to the media, delivered by Sheriff’s Office spokesman Stephen Young, who seemingly downplayed the significance of the 13-count indictment. He even recited a phrase Blakely uses about how a grand jury would indict “a ham sandwich.”

When most people think of Limestone County, they think of Sheriff Blakely as its mascot. First elected in 1982, Blakely is a larger-than-life figure. As one of only three remaining Democratic officeholders, he’s also a reminder of how Limestone County once was when it was virtually all rural and a Democratic stronghold.

He’s also well-known as a lawman. In January 2017, Blakely received the Bobby Timmons Sheriff of the Year Award from the Alabama Sheriff’s Association.

Things haven’t been smooth sailing for the sheriff as of late, however.

In January, Blakely and Chief Deputy Fred Sloss were sued by a female investigator who claims she was assaulted by Sloss and was then promised a promotion if she consented to his advances. The suit also claims Blakely demoted the investigator after she reported the incident.

In February, the Limestone County Commission agreed to pay $49,968.52 over U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour law violations concerning the Sheriff’s Office. According to the complaint, Sheriff’s Office employees were required to work at the annual Limestone Sheriff’s Rodeo without pay. The other infraction involved requiring deputies to come in after their scheduled shifts — without compensation — to fill out arrest warrants.

Those two incidents occurred not long after an ethics complaint was filed against Blakely. That complaint was ultimately referred by the Alabama Ethics Commission to the Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.

When we cast our vote for a public official, most of us want to believe the person who receives our vote is honest and has integrity. There are also those who cast a vote for an incumbent based on the premise: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”

People aren’t infallible. They have moral — and sometimes ethical — lapses. Sometimes, those lapses bubble to the surface.

Blakely’s indictment is just the latest shocking headline concerning elected sheriffs in Alabama. Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin opted not to seek re-election after an investigation revealed she invested $150,000 from the inmate food fund in a failed car dealership. In December, she pleaded guilty for failing to file a federal tax return.

Former Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin lost in the 2018 Republican primary after records showed he used $750,000 in inmate food money to purchase a $740,000 beach house in Orange Beach.

Most recently, Pickens County Sheriff David Abston was arrested in June and charged with fraud. He is accused of pocketing federal money used to feed inmates.

This week, Pickens County’s Chief Deputy Jonathan Gann was arrested on charges of second-degree theft and misdemeanor evidence-tampering.

It would seem some of the state’s top law enforcement officers believe they are above the law. They are not.

We will certainly cover the Blakely case and trial as it unfolds. We anticipate the state’s allegations against the sheriff will be met with a vigorous defense. Mark McDaniel, one of Blakely’s three defense attorneys, told reporters he would begin filing motions attacking the state’s existing ethics law.

Blakely, usually never one to shy away from a camera or microphone, has been silent about the indictment. We don’t anticipate that will change, either.

Whether or not Blakely is guilty of those things will be decided by a jury of 12. Finding someone in Limestone County who doesn’t have an opinion about the veteran sheriff may prove to be a significant challenge.