60 Days in Jail and 2 Years on probation for Man Who Battered 3 Sheriff’s Deputies

Adam Ford, a 48-year-old former resident of Beacon Mill Lane in Palm Coast, was sentenced to 60 days in jail followed by two years on probation from an incident last year when, drunk, belligerent and resistant, Ford battered three Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies after his then-wife had told 911 she was hiding in a closet, then hung up. 

“What frustrates me the most is how law enforcement was treated in this situation,” Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols told Ford, who had been out on bond since shortly after the June 15, 2024 incident. “When they come out to these calls, they have no idea what they’re coming across. And these are the types of calls where people get hurt or law enforcement gets hurt, and I’m hoping that this was an aberration and that we don’t see you before me anymore.” 

Ford’s then-wife, Cherie Ford, 44, was charged with one count of felony battery on an officer as a result of the same incident. She pleaded in January and was sentenced to 36 months on probation. The couple’s two-year marriage ended in April. 

Adam Ford two decades ago had been convicted on six felonies in Oklahoma, serving probation for forgery and burglary. He had no violent criminal history before the Beacon Mill incident. 

Deputies always respond to a location after a 911 hangup. When they showed up at the Beacon Mill house, Cherie opened the door and said she wasn’t sure if anyone else was inside. Then Adam walked into the living room, naked, asking what was going on and refusing to go back into a room. There was broken glass in he kitchen and living room. His hand was bleeding. He and Cherie refused to answer deputies’ questions, instead cursing at them to leave, then locking themselves in a room. 

The altercation with deputies escalated until Adam was tased and both Fords were handcuffed and taken to jail on the various charges, Adam by way of AdventHealth Palm Coast to get medical clearance. By then his foot was bleeding, too, as he’d stepped on broken glass in the bedroom during the struggle with the deputies. 

Adam Ford was represented by attorney Scott Westbrook today. “His behavior was not good in this case, it was very egregious,” Westbrook said. “He did not respond the way he should have responded, and as a result, he finds himself here.” Ford blamed it on drink and on his then-wife, saying she drank too much and he followed. 

Cherie was not in court. Nor were the deputies. Adam’s second ex-wife, the mother of three children he’d adopted (in addition to two of his own), was, and was among the three witnesses who spoke on his behalf. She described him as “a loyal and devoted husband” who continues to choose to be supportive when she needs his help. “This is not him. Not at all.” 

Ford’s brother and one of his stepdaughters testified on his behalf, blaming–as Ford did–Cherie for much of the trouble, which didn’t sit well with Assistant State Attorney Tara Libby. “It appeared as though what Mr. Ford is attempting to do is partially place the blame on his ex-wife,” Libby said. “As far as him saying I’m taking responsibility for it, yes, he’s here. He’s entering the plea. But, again, trying to push the blame on someone else.”

But Libby seemed resigned to a sentence without prison time. She had asked for 270 days in jail, or close to nine months. 

Adam Ford had brought a letter of apology to the Sheriff’s Office. The judge required him to write three individual letters of apology to the deputies in the altercation. She also required that for the first six months of his probation, he wear a so-called Scram device, which an individual wears on an ankle. It is supposed to monitor the individual’s blood-alcohol content. Scarm devices are not without issues. He’ll also have to abide by probation’s strict rules and follow substance abuse treatment. 

Given his scoresheet, any probation violation would result in imprisonment.