Byhalia alderwoman Delainer Richmond is leaning on a rare legal move to settle her drug case without saying she did anything wrong. Richmond entered an Alford plea Wednesday in Marshall County court, resolving state charges that grew out of a 2024 search of her home. The plea covers manufacturing marijuana and a related conspiracy count, and the district attorney is recommending five years of supervised probation. Richmond’s husband, Curtis Richmond, who faces a felon-in-possession charge from the same investigation, did not enter a plea and remains out on bond with his trial scheduled next week.
According to WREG, Richmond used the special Alford plea to settle the state counts while formally maintaining her innocence. The district attorney told the court he supports probation instead of prison time and said sentencing will be held on a later date. WREG also reported that Curtis Richmond appeared in court but did not enter a plea, and his case remains set for trial.
Court filings and plea explained
"An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while formally maintaining their innocence," WREG notes, describing a tactic defense lawyers sometimes use when they want to resolve a case without a traditional admission. Under the agreement outlined in court, prosecutors say Richmond pleaded to manufacturing marijuana and conspiracy, and she will be formally sentenced after the judge reviews the district attorney's recommendation. Court records show Richmond remains out on bond while she waits for that hearing.
What police say they found
The charges reach back to a June 2024 search of the Richmonds' home on Katie Lane, when agents and local officers reportedly found multiple marijuana plants, methamphetamine, three firearms, and a large amount of ammunition. That sweep was carried out with help from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, according to reporting by WMC Action News 5. Prosecutors say those discoveries formed the basis of the state drug counts that were resolved this week.
Related charges and local fallout
Richmond was later indicted in June 2025 in a separate commercial burglary and receiving-stolen-property case, and her bond was briefly revoked after that arrest, according to coverage. Reporting by The Beat of The Capital highlighted the political fallout after the indictment and noted that town leaders were still deciding how to handle the alderman's seat. Mayor Donald Hollingsworth previously told reporters Richmond would remain in office unless state authorities instructed otherwise.
What’s next
Richmond’s formal sentencing date will be set at a later hearing, and the case remains open as prosecutors and defense attorneys continue filing paperwork. Curtis Richmond is due back in court for his trial next week, and both defendants remain subject to bond conditions while the cases move forward. The judge will ultimately determine whether to accept the district attorney’s recommendation of five years of supervised probation when Richmond is sentenced.
