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The Reverend '''Hugh G. King, Sr.''' is an African American community leader, former [[Pensacola City Council]]man and pastor of the [[Greater Union Baptist Church]]. He was arrested on [[April 28]], [[2007]] for cocaine possession, for which the church has suspended him as pastor indefinitely. As a nonviolent first offender, he is expected to avoid trial by entering a pretrial intervention program.

[[Image:HughKingMugshot.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Mugshot of Rev. King following his April 28, 2007 arrest]]

{{current}}In the early morning hours of [[April 28]], [[2007]] Rev. King was arrested by [[Pensacola Police Department|police officers]] who were responding to a burglary call at North [[D Street]]. The police stopped [[Mark Anthony Cotton]] and King, his passenger, several blocks away from the crime at [[A Street|A]] and [[Blount Street]]s. They were driving a light-green Ford Explorer similar in build to the gray Chevrolet Blazer described by witnesses as leaving the burglary. After an officer observed a knife covered in white powder residue on the vehicle's center console, Cotton and King were searched. A bag of cocaine, valued at around $25, was found in King's back pocket.<ref>[http://pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070429/NEWS01/704290318/1006 "Hugh King charged with cocaine possession] - ." ''Pensacola News Journal'', April 29, 2007.</ref> Later reports stated that less than a gram of cocaine was found on King. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the possession charge on [[May 18]].<refname="outpastor">[http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/NEWS01/705090320/1006 "For now, King out as pastor] - ." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 9, 2007.</ref>

On [[In May 9]], [[2007]], the ''[[Pensacola News Journal]]'' reported that Greater Union Baptist Church had suspended King as pastor indefinitely. Church officials declined to comment, but City Councilwoman [[Jewel Cannada-Wynn]], who is a member of the church, confirmed the report but declined to discuss details.<ref>[http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AIDname="outpastor"/20070509/NEWS01/705090320/1006 For now, King out as pastor] - Pensacola News Journal, May 9, 2007.</ref>

On [[May 17]], [[2007]], King entered a written waiver of not guilty on one charge of cocaine possession. He has on [[May 17]] and requested a jury trial,.<ref>[http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770517024 "Rev. King pleads not guilty] - ." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 17, 2007.</ref> scheduled for [[September 10]], [[2007]]. On [[August 10]], attorney Attorney [[Barry Baroset]] argued before later asked Circuit Judge [[Joel Boles]] to suppress the evidence against his client, arguing that Officers [[Charles Decker]] and [[Matthew Coverdale]] illegally stopped and searched Cotton's vehicle, which he said did not closely match the Chevrolet Blazer described by robbery witnesses. Beroset requested that the evidence against King be suppressed.<ref>"Reverend battles drug charge." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 11, 2007.</ref> Boles denied the request. Circuit Judge [[Nick Geeker]] placed King in a pretrial intervention program on [[November 1]]. Typically, nonviolent first-time offenders are allowed to avoid trial if they admit to the crime, attend counseling and submit to random urinalysis.<ref>"Rev. King to avoid trial." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 1, 2007.</ref>