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{{Infobox Biography| subject_name =Hugh Garrett King, Sr.| image_name =HughKing.jpg| image_size =150px| image_caption =| date_of_birth =[[February 6]], [[1954]]| place_of_birth =| date_of_death =| place_of_death =| occupation =Pastor, politician| religion =| spouse =| parents =| children =}}The Reverend '''Hugh Garrett King, Sr.''' (b. [[1954]]) is an African American community leader, former [[Pensacola City Council]]man and former pastor of the [[Greater Union Baptist Church]]. He was arrested on [[April 28]], [[2007]] for cocaine possession, after which he was removed as pastor. He pleaded no contest on [[January 14]], [[2008]] and received two years' probation, but is expected to appeal the legality of the search that led to his arrest. On July 7, 2009 the cocaine possession conviction was overturned by an appeals court. The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled that the Pensacola police did not have "reasonable suspicion" to pull over the green Ford Explorer in which King was a passenger on April 27, 2007.
==Political & Spiritual Career==
King was elected to the [[Pensacola City Council]] in [[1999]]. On [[January 14]], [[2000]] King and the City Council voted to rename a portion of [[Alcaniz Street]] (north of [[Cervantes Street]], through the [[Eastside]] neighborhood) [[Martin Luther King Jr. Drive]].
He was installed as the fifteenth pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church in the spring of 2004 following the death of his father, Reverend [[A. J. King, Sr.]], on [[October 9]], [[2003]]. Citing the primacy of his church position, King announced he would not seek reelection to the Pensacola City Council.<ref>[http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=132 Church Comes First], Independent News, August 9, 2004.</ref> [[Jewel Cannada-Wynn]] replaced him in the 2004 election.
King played a major role in generating support for the [[Community Maritime Park]] project and was appointed to the [[Community Maritime Park Associates]] Board of Trustees. He oversaw the formation of the [[Contractor Academy]] that was established as part of the CMPA's "Covenant with the Community" to help minority contractors compete for government jobs.
On [[February 7]], [[2008]], King pre-filed to challenge [[Marie Young]] for her [[Escambia County District 3|District 3]] seat on the [[Escambia County Board of County Commissioners|Escambia County Commission]]. However, he dropped out of the race without explanation several months later.
==Controversies==
When [[Front Porch Pensacola]] community liaison [[Thelma Manley]] came under fire in early [[2007]] for alleged mismanagement of organization funds, Rev. King, a member of the Front Porch Council, came to her defense. King hosted a [[March 20]] press conference at his church, where he defended Manley of the allegations and accused Council members [[Michelle MacNeil]] and [[Melanie Nichols]] of racism.
[[Image:HughKingMugshot.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Mugshot of Rev. King following his April 28, 2007 arrest]]
===Cocaine Possession===
==References==
{{biostart box}}{{succession box | before = [[Sharon L. Wakeman]] | title = [[Pensacola City Council]]<br/>[[City of Pensacola District 6|District 6]] | years = [[1999]]-stub[[2004]] | after = [[Lester A. Smith]]}}{{end box}}
[[Category:Community Maritime Park|King, Hugh]][[Category:African -American politicians|King, Hugh]][[Category:African -American religious leaders|King, Hugh]][[Category:Civic leaders|King, Hugh]]