Hege stays quiet about next move

LEXINGTON (Winston-Salem Journal) - The man who once declared himself the toughest sheriff in America and took pride in humiliating prisoners in pink jail cells has been uncharacteristically quiet as he served his probation the past three years.

Today, Gerald Keith Hege is officially free. With his probation over just after midnight last night, he now may leave Davidson County or run for public office again. As a convicted felon, however, he can never own a firearm.