A federal court in South Carolina sentenced former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright to 41 months in prison in a case involving theft and drug-related charges. The punishment reaches Spartanburg County residents and the law-enforcement institutions whose credibility is tied to how former officials are sanctioned.

A lengthy term can signal accountability for a former sheriff, while a quoted characterization of Wright as “a productive member of society” supports judging whether the sanction is proportionate. The court imposed 41 months in federal prison.