Joe Freeman is asking Republican voters in Alabama House District 95 to trust him with public office.
Freeman, who is challenging incumbent Representative Frances Holk-Jones in the June 16 Republican runoff, presents himself as a conservative candidate rooted in integrity, accountability, family values, public safety and personal responsibility.
But public court records reviewed by APR show a more complicated history—one that includes a 2009 Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing, multiple marriages and divorces, a 2016 domestic violence arrest record, allegations that Freeman failed to support his minor children after leaving the marital home, and a separate divorce filing in which another former spouse alleged violent and threatening conduct.
Freeman, in a written response to APR, said he has “never claimed to be perfect” and argued that voters should consider the full record, not allegations made during contentious divorce proceedings. He said he was never convicted of domestic violence and said the bankruptcy occurred during the 2008 housing crisis.
APR is not reporting divorce allegations as court findings. But Freeman has made integrity, accountability, family values and public safety central to his campaign. Public records that complicate that image are relevant for voters deciding whether to replace a sitting lawmaker.
This is not a story about private imperfection. It is a story about the public record behind the public image.
Freeman’s campaign materials present him as a man shaped by duty, accountability and conservative values. His campaign emphasizes support for families, public safety and responsible leadership.
Those themes are central to his appeal as he seeks to unseat Holk-Jones. But records from North Carolina and Alabama raise questions about whether the image Freeman presents to voters is complete.
Federal bankruptcy records show that Joseph Elmer Freeman and Kristen Michelle Freeman filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2009 in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The case, filed as In re Joseph Elmer Freeman and Kristen Michelle Freeman, case No. 09-02898-8-ATS, included sworn financial disclosures listing income, unemployment benefits, business interests, real property, vehicles, debts, collection judgments and other liabilities.
The records show Freeman reported no positive income in 2008 or in 2009 before the bankruptcy filing. The bankruptcy schedules listed more than $950,000 in secured claims and more than $316,000 in unsecured nonpriority claims, bringing total listed claims to more than $1.26 million.
Freeman signed the bankruptcy statement under penalty of perjury on April 22, 2009.
The bankruptcy filing is relevant because Freeman has made accountability and judgment central to his campaign appeal.
Court records reviewed by APR also show Freeman has been involved in multiple marriage and divorce proceedings across North Carolina and Alabama.
Those records show divorce or annulment proceedings involving Gwendolyn Shea Grantham Freeman, Presha Allen, Kristen Michelle Freeman and Rebecca Lynn Freeman before Freeman’s current marriage.
The relevance of those records is not the divorces themselves, but the allegations contained in the domestic relations filings.
An arrest history record reviewed by APR lists Joseph Elmer Freeman with a January 22, 2016, booking connected to a domestic violence third-degree, assault third-degree charge. The record lists the case number as MC150566 and the warrant date as December 15, 2015.
Court records reviewed by APR show the charge was later nolle prossed, meaning prosecutors did not proceed with the case. A nolle prosequi can occur for a variety of reasons, including insufficient evidence, witness issues, newly discovered information or other prosecutorial considerations. The disposition does not constitute a conviction.
In April 2016, Kristen Michelle Freeman amended her divorce complaint in Mobile County Circuit Court. In that filing, she alleged that Freeman had vacated the marital home following his arrest on domestic relations charges in Saraland and moved in with his “paramour.”
The filing further alleged that Freeman had “failed and refused” to provide support for their two minor children and requested child support retroactive to January 31, 2016. Kristen Michelle Freeman also alleged that Freeman was able-bodied, able to work and able to contribute support.
APR is reporting those claims as allegations made in a public court filing, not as final findings by a court. But they concern responsibility for minor children—a matter directly relevant to a candidate campaigning on family values and personal responsibility.
A separate 2019 Mobile County divorce filing by Rebecca Lynn Freeman contained more serious allegations.
In an instanter motion for exclusive possession of the homeplace, Rebecca Lynn Freeman alleged a history of violent behavior, anger issues and harassment by Freeman. The filing described specific incidents in which she alleged Freeman took her automobile keys, refused to return them, demanded jewelry and other property, cursed and screamed at her, and forced her out of the master bedroom.
The most serious allegation involved an incident on August 1, 2019.
According to the filing, Rebecca Lynn Freeman had locked herself in another bedroom and placed two doorstops under the door because she feared Freeman might try to enter. The filing alleged Freeman later came home, broke open the bedroom door while she was sleeping, yelled and cursed at her, damaged the door frame, grabbed at her ears to take earrings and caused her to fear for her life and safety.
The filing also alleged that Freeman’s conduct violated a pretrial order restraining him from harassing, intimidating, assaulting, abusing or threatening Rebecca Lynn Freeman while the divorce case was pending.
APR reviewed available court records and has not located a final order adjudicating those allegations as true or false. Freeman told APR that additional records existed that would help explain or contradict the domestic relations allegations, but he did not provide those records before deadline.
APR is therefore reporting the claims as allegations made in a public court filing, not as findings by a court. Even so, the allegations are serious. They go directly to questions of temperament, judgment, accountability and fitness for public trust.
Freeman has made integrity, accountability, family values and public safety central to his campaign appeal. Public records that complicate that image are therefore relevant.
APR sent Freeman detailed written questions about the bankruptcy filing, the 2016 domestic violence arrest record, the nolle prosequi disposition, the allegations made by Kristen Michelle Freeman regarding support for minor children, and the allegations made by Rebecca Lynn Freeman involving harassment, threatening conduct and fear for personal safety.
Freeman responded in writing, saying his life includes “successes, failures, challenges, and lessons learned.”
“I have always believed that anyone seeking public office should be willing to answer questions about their background,” Freeman said. “What I have promised voters is honesty, accountability, and the courage to stand up for what is right.”
Regarding the bankruptcy, Freeman said it occurred during the 2008 housing crisis, which he described as “one of the most difficult periods” of his life.
“Like many families and small business owners during that economic downturn, we faced significant financial challenges,” Freeman said. “We utilized the legal process available to reorganize our finances and move forward.”
Freeman said the experience taught him lessons about business, responsibility and financial management.
Freeman also said he does not deny having failed relationships, but argued that the number of marriages someone has had is not a measure of character or ability to serve the public.
“With respect to allegations contained in divorce filings and other domestic relations proceedings, it is important to remember that allegations are not facts and pleadings are not court findings,” Freeman said. “Divorce cases are often emotional, contentious, and filled with accusations by both sides.”
Freeman said he was never convicted of domestic violence. He also said records exist showing that he was the victim of abuse by a former spouse and said many allegations referenced by APR “were never substantiated in court and were ultimately dismissed or resolved without findings” against him.
After APR sent Freeman a list of detailed questions, he posted what appeared to be substantially the same response publicly.
In his response to APR, Freeman also claimed additional records existed that would help explain the domestic relations allegations and show that some claims were not substantiated.
APR asked Freeman to provide those supporting records, including any final dispositions, dismissal orders, police reports, court filings or other materials he wanted reviewed before publication. APR gave Freeman additional time to submit those documents. He did not provide them before the deadline.
Freeman also said his adult children have publicly supported him and his campaign.
“Their support means more to me than any political endorsement ever could,” Freeman said.
Freeman is entitled to explain the record. He has done so, in part, by denying that allegations in divorce filings amount to proven facts and by pointing to the absence of a domestic violence conviction.
But the public records remain part of the record before voters.
This story does not tell voters whom to support. It tells them what public records show before they decide whether to replace an incumbent lawmaker with Joe Freeman.
