District Attorney's Updates

The Courthouse Fire

2008-04-23T13:48:00.003-04:00

When I saw the pictures, it felt like somebody hit me in the gut. No,
these weren't gruesome photographs of a murder. Those make you grit
your teeth in rage. These were personal. These old pictures from 1982
ripped open an old wound.
We found the pictures in an old, archived file. Some showed the flames
roaring into the sky. Others captured the charred walls and knee-deep
ashes. The photographs were taken during and after the fire that
burned the Fayette County Courthouse in April of 1982.

Since 1821 the proud structure had stood as the symbol of Fayette
County. It was a legend. School teachers took pupils to walk around
the building and shared with us the grand history of the courthouse.
Stories about trials. The story about the Texas cavalry saving the
building from the torches Sherman's soldiers brought.

When we gave directions to visitors, we used the courthouse as a
landmark. It was our "Big Chicken." When people asked us where we were
from and we answered, we often added, "We've got the oldest active
courthouse in Georgia." I know it sounds silly now, but the courthouse
was a part of our identity.

I was away at law school when I got the phone call. A criminal had
burned the courthouse. He had thought they couldn't try his case if
the courthouse wasn't there. I felt like vomiting.

I've talked with others who were in Fayetteville the day after the
arson. They say that citizens quietly streamed to the square and
stared in silence. Our pride as a community lay before them in piles
of burnt timber, blackened bricks and smoky ashes.

Of course, Fayette County recovered. The arsonist went to prison. We
rebuilt the building. And we developed other sources of great pride.
Today when we say we're from Fayette County, we don't have to explain
where that is. And it is the other party who says, "Oh, yeah. Y'all
have great schools there."

Those pictures of the burnt courthouse helped me understand why I feel
personally violated when gangs recruit in our schools or people make
threats to do violence in the schools. I'm proud of the schools in the
same way I once was proud of the courthouse. And criminals can't have
our schools.

20-20 Party

2008-04-23T13:48:00.001-04:00

Recently I wrote about "Sweet Sixteen" parties. During the March term
of court we held a different kind of party. I'd call it a "20-20
Party." Twenty years. Twenty years…
It began in Judge Johnnie Caldwell's courtroom. Two men had robbed a
teenager at gunpoint at an ATM in Fayetteville. One defendant pled
guilty during the trial. The other took his chances with a jury. He
shouldn't have done that. Warren Sellers prosecuted. The jury
convicted. Judge Caldwell gave him twenty years in prison.

Jeremy Hayes, one of my rookie prosecutors, began an attempted
trafficking case in the other courtroom. The defendant had tried to
sell 29 pounds of marijuana and a kilogram of cocaine to undercover
officers. Guilty. Somebody forgot to tell Judge Chris Edwards that
this was a 20-20 party. He sentenced the guy to 35 years in prison and
15 years of probation when he gets out.

The next week Greg Stein, another rookie, prosecuted his first case.
It was a burglary. Our case was strengthened by a good neighbor who
reported suspicious activity to the police, helping us catch the
burglar. Greg did a fine job and the jury convicted. Judge Caldwell
sentenced the burglar to twenty years in prison.

In Judge Edward's courtroom, Ben Coker tried a child molestation case.
These are always tough. Guilty. Twenty years in prison.

Judge Caldwell called Christopher McDaniel to trial. He was charged
with aggravated assault for shooting his girlfriend in the shoulder.
On a prior occasion, he had shot at her in Clayton County. He avoided
prosecution for that when his girlfriend refused to cooperate with
police. This time, in Fayette, the girlfriend again refused to help
us.

Bullies can't shoot people and get away with it by convincing their
victims to hinder the police investigations. That's what Lura Landis
believes. Lura prosecuted Christopher McDaniel without the testimony
of the victim. Guilty. Twenty years in prison.

The sign on the road says "Fayette County". Criminal, understand what
that means.

A New Bike

2008-04-23T13:47:00.001-04:00

Public service can be costly. We prosecuted gang members and
protestors came to the courthouse and cussed me. I've had prisoners
try to disbar me. They've sued me. Bloggers who would be welcome
anytime to meet with me to discuss their concerns prefer to berate me
anonymously. A post card from an unrevealed source was mailed to
thousands of homes falsely suggesting that I'm gay.
Yes, public service can be costly.

But, look at the rewards!

This past term of court we prosecuted two armed robbers. They had
taken money at gunpoint from a teenage boy at an ATM. The boy was
terrified. He left his bike as he fled on foot and somebody stole the
bike.

One of the robbers pled guilty in the middle of the trial. He got 15
years. The jury convicted the other. Judge Johnnie Caldwell sentenced
him to 20 years.

We decided to try to get the boy another bike. Michelle Ivey, our
Victim Advocate, went to Wal-Mart. The good people there wouldn't let
us pay for a bicycle. Instead, they donated one. Somebody else gave us
a helmet.

Friday we went to the boy's house. He didn't know we were coming. We
asked him to walk outside with us. When we opened the door to the SUV,
he saw it. A brand new, gleaming, royal blue 5-speed.

Did I mention that I love public service?

Hargrave Trial

2008-04-23T13:46:00.001-04:00

When she was four and she lived in Baltimore, her uncle would molest
her. Then her mother moved her to Fayette County. He came here to
visit and molested her again. They moved back to Baltimore.
When she was old enough to understand what had happened to her, she
told her mother. Maryland authorities arrested the uncle. Fayette
County detective Josh Shelton questioned him. He admitted molesting
her in Maryland. He denied doing it in Georgia. Detective Shelton
arrested him anyway.

He made bond and returned to Maryland. We indicted in Fayette County.
He hired a big-fee Atlanta firm. Then an odd thing happened. The
child's mother refused to bring her down here for trial.

I guess we were supposed to say, "We can't prosecute without the child
here. We'll just wait and see what Maryland does."

We didn't. Instead, we had the mother arrested in Maryland and forced
her to comply with our subpoena. Then we flew her and her child here
and put them up in a hotel. We flew the Maryland detective here and
found him a room. We flew the forensic interviewer here from Maryland
and made hotel accommodations for her. Michelle Ivey, our Director of
Victim Services, spent her Easter Sunday with the child to be sure she
was okay.

The trial began. I approached the defense lawyer to introduce Ben
Coker. "You know Ben." Of course he did; just two weeks earlier Ben
had convicted that firm's drug smuggling client in Spalding County.
"He'll be prosecuting this case."

One by one the girl's family members testified that her uncle was
innocent. Even her own father. Still, the little girl held her ground.
She insisted that her uncle had molested her in Fayette County as well
as in Maryland.

Ben Coker stood to deliver his closing argument. You could hear a pin
drop as he approached the jury. When he finished and sat down, there
were chill bumps on every spine. Spectators and jurors wiped away
tears.

When the verdict was read, it was the defendant who was crying. Guilty.

Judge Chris Edwards looked at him. "The sentence I am about to
pronounce is the only way that I can be comfortable that there won't
be another little girl that you molest. You can serve twenty years."

Maryland, he's yours now. That's how we do it here.

Gunshots at Parties

2008-03-23T11:57:00.001-04:00

On October 20, 2007 some students at one of our local high
schools had a party. The parents were out of town. Several uninvited
teenagers from Clayton County crashed the party to confront one of the
Fayette students. As the Clayton County teens left in a pickup truck
they fired three shots into the air.

On November 24, 2007 some young adults and teenagers from Fulton
and Clayton Counties rented a dance studio in Fayetteville for a
"Sweet Sixteen" party. There was a $5.00 cover charge to attend.
About 20 men arrived and refused to pay the cover charge. They
started beating on the windows of the studio. Police arrived and made
them leave. As they left, they fired a gun. Police found 4 shell
casings from a .380 handgun and recovered a projectile from a stucco
wall.

On January 27, 2008 a Fairburn mother rented a spot in
Fayetteville to host a party for her daughter. Rival gang members
from Creekside High squared off to fight and one pulled a pistol from
his pants and fired a .40 caliber bullet into the air. Police arrived
to find over 100 teens still at the party.

Around December of 2007 there was a "Sweet Sixteen" party at a
North Fayette residence. It had been advertised on "My Space". Over
150 people were there. Deputies heard gunshots, but were unable to
locate the shooter.

Major Kevin Gooding of the Fayetteville Police has worked
aggressively with the owners of the facilities that rent space for
such parties. The police are insisting that they require proper adult
supervision and police security for these events. You, as parents,
can also help.

Know where your kids are going. Forbid them from going to
parties that start late at night. Be wary of parties that are
advertised on the internet. If there is a cover charge, be suspicious
that there may be alcohol at the party. And know this: kids bring
guns to some of these gatherings and are willing to shoot them.
Disorderly and dangerous people will be arrested and prosecuted.

I just thought you needed to know.

Spalding Term

2008-03-15T12:31:00.001-04:00

We just finished two weeks of trials in Spalding County. As will
happen when you are in a fight, we got our noses bloodied a little.
But, as Sherlock Holmes told Watson, "I emerged as you see me. My
opponent went home in a cart."
It began with my murder trial. After one day of testimony, the
defendant pled guilty to all counts. Judge Johnnie Caldwell sentenced
him to life plus ten years in prison.

Almost immediately another murder defendant pled guilty. The sentence
was life in prison.

Stephen Knights, our drug prosecutor in Griffin, convicted two drug
traffickers. Judge Caldwell sentenced one to 40 years. The other got
60.

The second week of trials arrived. We sent Alaina Sullivan into the
courtroom. She just passed the bar in October. The defendant was
charged with armed robbery of three convenience stores. Throughout the
trial, during breaks, the defendant and his family jeered Alaina. They
called her names. They cussed her. When the fur finally settled, the
jury convicted. Judge Caldwell took it from there. "On count one you
can serve twenty years. On count two you can serve the rest of your
natural life in prison consecutive to count one. Get him out of here."

In the other courtroom, Ben Coker, one of my pit bull prosecutors in
the Upson office, took on three men charged with trafficking drugs;
two of them had big-fee Atlanta lawyers. They lost. Judge Chris
Edwards will sentence them soon.

Then we tried Joey Gilbert. He has slipped out of the grasp of
Spalding County law enforcement for years—always a little too slick to
get caught. Now he faced drug trafficking charges. I put an ace on the
mound. Warren Sellers from the Fayetteville office prosecuted the
case. Guilty as charged. The sentence from Judge Caldwell? Life plus
30.

Monday the show comes to Fayette County. We'll have two weeks of
criminal trials. Protesters, step aside. Fayette County jurors need to
enter the courthouse.

Community Awareness Seminars

2008-03-15T12:30:00.001-04:00

Have you heard about the Community Awareness Seminars? The school
system has organized meetings at each of the high schools in the
county, inviting the students in that district and their parents.
We've done four so far. I'd like to do many more.

They follow this format. The principal of the high school welcomes
everyone. Then I speak briefly about the purpose of the meeting. Bob
Stavenger from the Fayetteville Police Department gives an excellent
talk about gangs that operate in surrounding counties and the ones
trying to get started in our schools. Curt Cearley, Director of
Technology Services for the schools and Peggy O'Farrell, the
webmaster, offer eye-opening presentations about internet safety.
Anthony Rhodes and Belinda McCastle from Sheriff Johnson's Department
discuss traffic stops. I especially like their advice to women who
think they are being stopped by a police imposter.

Then we take questions from the audience. I love that part. I've
carefully listened to the comments from parents. As I do, I'm flooded
with ideas as to what we can do to preserve our way of life in Fayette
County.

The alliance that has developed between law enforcement, our office
and the schools is quickly adding new partners—parents. I can't
adequately express to you how encouraging that has been to me. It will
take all of us to defend this county against those who want to tarnish
it.

One question last Monday at Whitewater High was especially exciting to
me. A student asked, "What can we as students do to stop gang activity
when we see it?" The answer is to report the activity to an adult.

But the question itself suggests the possibility of another partner in
the alliance. Students. With them on board we'll win this fight.

THE PROTEST

2008-02-26T15:29:00.002-05:00

I guess we struck a nerve. Some folks didn't like it that we locked up two juveniles for the gang-related fight in the Fayette County High School bathroom. I had heard that the New Black Panthers were planning a rally to "free the Fayette Two".

On Friday afternoon I was in my office in the Fayette County Courthouse preparing a Spalding County murder case for trial. Sure enough, a taxi cab arrived in the parking lot. Soon other cars with out-of-county tags pulled up.

One of the people wore a military outfit with a dark beret. It wasn't one of the US Military uniforms. He reminded me of Idi Amin. I later learned he was from Los Angeles. I guess he was important.

Another carried a bull horn. He looked like he was wearing hospital scrubs. I'm told he was from Chicago.

About eight or ten other men and women carried signs and walked around in a circle shaking the signs while the bull horn blared. There was much profanity. One of the kinder things they said about me was "D.A. stands for Devil's Assistant." They spewed hatred toward the officers who investigated the case and toward the judge who invoked the penalty.

I wonder what they thought they were accomplishing. Did they think we would raise the white flag and surrender Fayette County to gangs?

Prosecuting gang members has nothing to do with race. Many gangs are integrated. All gangs threaten citizens in the community of all races. We'll arrest and prosecute white and Hispanic and Asian gang members if they break the law here. This time the offenders were black.

And if these protesters got their feelings hurt by two juvenile court sentences, they might as well bring lounge chairs to the courthouse. They haven't seen anything yet.

TIME WITH TEENAGERS

2008-02-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

I’ve been spending a lot of time with teenagers lately. It’s something I love to do.

Last week, I spoke to a class of eighth-graders at Fayette Middle School. This is a course about law enforcement taught by Fayetteville Police Officer J.D. Lakeman. Odie Bergh, from the Peachtree City Police Department, teaches a similar class at Booth Middle School. The students were very attentive and respectful. Soon they will investigate a mock crime scene at the school. I was impressed.

The next two mornings I was at the Career Fair. You are familiar with that event. Representatives from all types of vocations set up booths at the Heritage Christian Church. Students from each of the middle schools spend an hour discussing what it is like to work in various fields. The girls wear nice dresses. Many of the guys wear suits. They take this seriously. I was impressed.

Saturday I will have the privilege of serving as an evaluator in the championship round of the high school regional mock trial competition. I’ve never been an evaluator. For about six years I did coach the Starr’s Mill team. I know from that experience that these kids will be brilliant and extremely well-prepared. I will wish I could hire them and put them in our courts. Every year I am impressed.

Tuesday night we finished our first gang trial in juvenile court. None of us knew quite what to expect. Would the usual penalties for a school fight apply? Would the judge utilize the option for enhanced penalties that the gang statute provides? Judge Tarey Schell looked these gang members in the eyes and gave a blistering speech that made it clear that he hates what criminal street gangs do to a community. He loves Fayette County and he won’t put up with gangs here. Not for one second. Then he imposed the most knee-buckling disposition I’ve ever seen in juvenile court. I was impressed.

If we really care about our kids, we have to spend time with them. And do the right thing. When they’re good and when they’re bad.
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MEETING THE GOVERNOR

2008-02-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

People ask me if I like my job. I really do. I enjoy the contacts with law enforcement. I like the teamwork among the staff. Media interviews are fun. So are parades. I get to meet people every day. Often, I am able to help folks. I love trials, especially when one of our prosecutors is in top form.

Some days are “off-the-chart” cool. Like last Monday.

Do you remember the threats of school violence last fall? One was at McIntosh. Some kids threatened to kill the teachers and their other enemies. About 400 parents removed their children from school early. Later that month two other threats caused similar concerns at other schools in the county.

No current law adequately addresses that type of threat. That is especially true if the defendant is a juvenile. We did the best we could, but I realized that we need a new law.

I called Senator Ronnie Chance. He is the Governor’s Senate Floor Leader. His district includes Fayette County. I suggested that he talk to the Governor about a bill to make it a crime to threaten to do violence at a school and to put a provision in the bill that gave me more options to deal with a juvenile offender than I currently have. Senator Chance said, “What I would rather do is arrange a meeting between you, me and the Governor to discuss this.”

So, on Monday I went to the capitol. We met with the Governor. He made comments about the idea and suggested that we draft a bill and see how it looks.

As we got up to leave, the Governor’s assistant said, “Governor, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but Mr. Ballard’s son is an intern with us in the Office of Planning and Budget. We brought him over and would like for you to meet him.” Suddenly, my son, David, walked into the Governor’s office. It was a total surprise to me—a kindness I will never forget. Thank you Ronnie Chance.

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CRACKDOWN ON FALSE RESIDENCY AFFIDAVITS

2008-02-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

My son, David, graduated from the University of Georgia on Saturday. He did very well and we are quite proud of him. But, when I really stop to think about it, a great deal of the credit goes to the teachers who prepared him.

Like his siblings, he is a product of the Fayette County school system. I doubt that there are finer public schools in America.

Excellent schools didn’t happen by chance. They are the result of planning and work and sacrifice by citizens who place a high priority on education. It is wrong for people in other counties who didn’t sacrifice for high-quality schools to sneak their kids into ours. It is especially wrong for them to lie on an affidavit to cheat Fayette taxpayers that way.

Our school officials believe that. So do I.

So, last year we got tough. We promised to crack down on folks who lie on affidavits to get into school. I think the cheaters listened.

For the first time in about thirty years, we have fewer children in Fayette County schools than in the previous year. Every month about fifteen families attempt to register their kids for school, but never provide the required proof that they live here. Many of those parents in the past would have sworn falsely on an affidavit that Fayette was their home. Now they just go away.

It costs $8300.00 each year to educate a child in Fayette schools. Some of that comes from the State and Federal governments. Fayette pays $4200.00 of that. That means we’ve saved Fayette taxpayers over $756,000.00 in 12 months.

You know what? I’m still indebted to the teachers and administrators who have taught my children.
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FAYETTE’S DRUG PROSECUTOR

2008-02-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

The Drug Task Force caught Jorge Antonio Landeras-Ruiz selling five pounds of methamphetamine at a shopping center in Tyrone. He pled not guilty and came to trial last Monday in Fayette Superior Court. That’s where he met Warren Sellers. He wishes he hadn’t.

Warren is our drug prosecutor in the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office. When I decided to run for D.A., the officers of the Drug Task Force pleaded with me for help. It was becoming obvious that big-time drug dealers were drooling over potential profits in Fayette. Law enforcement needed an aggressive prosecutor to oppose bonds for these dealers and to slam them at trial.

I knew just the man. Warren Sellers had prosecuted cases in the Municipal Courts of Fayetteville, Peachtree City, and Tyrone for years. He was tough. He was smart. He was always prepared. When I was elected, one of the first things I did was to approach Warren. Would he close down his successful law practice and accept less money to help Fayette County fight drug dealers? To my delight, he agreed to do just that.

For nearly three years he has prosecuted every felony drug case in Fayette Superior Court. He makes himself available to the officers around the clock. He knows every detail about his cases. He prepares meticulously.

So, Jorge Antonio Landeras-Ruiz decided to square off with Warren Sellers in court last Monday. It wasn’t a fair fight. When the fur quit flying, this drug dealer had been convicted of trafficking. The sentence? Thirty years in prison and a one million dollar fine. The defendant went to jail whimpering. Warren grabbed another file as if to say, “Who’s next?”

What motivates this man? Warren loves his wife and three children. They’re all in Disneyworld right now, thanks to the Make- A- Wish Foundation which sponsored a trip to honor Warren’s son who battles Mitochondrial Disease. Warren is as great a dad as he is a prosecutor. When he gets back, he’ll fight more drug dealers. He’s not about to raise his family in a place where drug dealers win. Aren’t you glad he’s ours?
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FIGHTING DRUG DEALERS IN FAYETTE

2008-02-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

If you are serious about preventing crime, you’d better address illegal drugs. Sixty percent or more of the cases on any trial calendar in Fayette County Superior Court are drug cases. Most of the others involve drugs in some way—stealing to get money to buy drugs; fighting because of the influence of drugs; forging prescriptions for drugs. In Fayette County, we’re not taking this lying down.

We have a Drug Task Force made up of officers from the Sheriff’s Department, Fayetteville Police, and Tyrone Police. It is the envy of the state. This is the group that busted over seventy marijuana grow houses all over Georgia. Around the clock these officers pursue drug dealers tirelessly and aggressively. They use state-of-the-art technology and they catch a lot of dealers. Then they seize their cars, cash and other property, hitting the kingpins where it hurts.

When the dealers get to court, it hurts again. Ask Shawn Perkins (15 years and a fine of $300,000 for trafficking). Shedrick McCombs was sentenced to 20 years and a fine of $200,000 for trafficking. So was Robert Senior. Fernando Rivas, Jose Navarro, and Jackson Martinez each got 30 years and a $1,000,000 fine. That’s right, ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Roberto Camacho and Efrain Oliveres received sentences of 40 years in prison and fines of $1,000,000 each.

Years ago Bo Ginn ran for Governor of Georgia. His slogan was “Pusher, meet the slammer.” In Fayette County our Drug Task Force and Superior Court make that introduction at every opportunity.
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HELP FOR CRIME VICTIMS

2008-02-16T22:57:00.000-05:00

It can happen in an instant. You’re minding your own business and somebody snatches your purse. Or duplicates your credit card and runs up debt. Or breaks into your car. Suddenly you are a victim of crime.

It can take years. A child is molested regularly from the time she is six years old. A trusted employee steals a little at a time; you discover a decade later that you’ve lost thousands of dollars. You’ve been a victim of crime all along.

The District Attorney’s Office is well-equipped to help crime victims. A surcharge of five percent is added to every fine that a criminal defendant pays. We take that money and hire Victim Advocates who meet with crime victims. We explain the court process. We help with medical bills. We seek reimbursement for what they’ve lost. We prepare them for what happens at trial. We seek input from the victim concerning plea negotiations. We make travel arrangements for out-of-state victims who must come to court. And at trial, the Victim Advocate goes into the courtroom with the victim to offer support.

We have a Victim Advocate in each county in the circuit. Michelle Ivey is the Director of Victim Services and she works with the Fayette victims. She’s very good at what she does. The police have called her countless times in the middle of the night. Each time she has hurried to the crime scene to assist the victim or, if the victim has been killed, the grieving parent or spouse or child. I’m proud of her. Her hard work makes Fayette County a better place to live.

And here’s the beautiful part. Criminals, not tax-payers, pay for it all.
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JUVENILE REFORM

2008-02-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

They keep tinkering with Juvenile Court. They tried boot camps. Somebody decided that wasn’t working. They changed that to the “short-term program”, a ninety day period of incarceration. Then they shortened that to sixty days. Now, strapped for cash, the State is suggesting that we do away with the sixty day program. Our juvenile court judges are so frustrated they could scream.

Everything is already watered down. We have “graduated sanctions”. That means that, no matter what the judge does, the Department of Juvenile Justice adjusts the penalty according to a grid. After about five probation violations, we can incarcerate a juvenile.

Everybody knows that many kids use drugs. Way too many are addicts. Juvenile crime would drop if we had in-house drug treatment available for the kids who need it. Guess how many beds exist for that purpose in Georgia. Twelve.

I read in the paper about the national trend that emphasizes gentle treatment of juveniles. There is a group that is lobbying the General Assembly to fall into line with that trend. It looks to me like we are already there.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we need to lock up all the kids who commit delinquent acts. I am saying that each child is different and, to protect the public, we must be able to deal with each in a way that works.

One kid breaks the law because he hangs out with the wrong crowd. Another kid gets in trouble because he doesn’t respect authority. This one has ADD. The next is addicted to drugs. This one is a psychopath.

The juvenile authorities need the resources to identify what’s wrong and to correct it. Sometimes that means jail. And we shouldn’t have to wait until there are five victims before they go.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SCHOOLS

2008-02-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

I want to share with you some snapshots of proactive law enforcement.

Here’s one of Jason Tutterow when he was the school resource officer at Whitewater High. In this picture, he’s arresting a student who brought several guns and other weapons to school.

In this next photo, the lady surrounded by all the children hugging her is Deborah Hannah. She has been a DARE officer at the elementary schools for years. Fifth-graders she warned about the dangers of drugs are now grown and have families of their own.

Look at this one. It was taken at the Senior Walk last spring at Starr’s Mill High. See all those graduating seniors talking to the school resource officer? They’re telling Dave McNaughton how much he has meant to them.

Here’s one that was taken at Fayette Middle School. The teacher is really a police officer. J.D. Lakeman is teaching eighth graders about the criminal justice system. This next snapshot shows Kay Crider at McIntosh teaching a similar class.

The crying girl in this next picture just told her school counselor that she is being molested at home. The deputy comforting her is Renee McCollum, the school resource officer. Renee will later testify at trial and the molester will go to prison.

I could go on and on. You could share many similar observations.

Next fall, the Fayetteville Police Department will place an officer in each of the two Fayetteville middle schools. They will teach G.R.E.A.T. classes designed to discourage our children from joining gangs. Like the school resource officers and DARE officers, they will be investing in our children.

We can’t thank them enough.
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NCR HEROES

2008-02-16T22:25:00.000-05:00

The unsung heroes didn’t know there was an unspent round in the chamber. A bullet capable of wasting one more life. April Ulrich had just shot her ex-husband twice. Who would be next?

We’ll never know. This murderer never left the scene of the crime. That’s because Peachtree City Police officers were there less than three minutes after the shooting. When they arrived, Sandy Garrett, an employee of NCR who works in security, had April Ulrich kneeling on the sidewalk. Garrett had seen the gun in the car and had ordered the killer to get out of the car and away from the gun.

What if Garrett had laid out of work that day? What would have happened if NCR employees had cowered behind their desks when they heard shots? I saw the surveillance video. These brave men and women ran out the door to offer their help. I believe they saved one life when they did that. I just don’t know whose life that was.

We’ve all heard about the gang rape in a pool hall in New England several years ago. Several men raped a woman on a pool table in front of about forty witnesses. Not one offered to help.

You see, people like Sandy Garrett are hard to find. Unless, of course, you’re in Fayette County.

A few weeks ago I witnessed a car accident at the intersection of Highway 92 and Jimmy Mayfield Boulevard in Fayetteville. Literally fifteen people stopped their cars and ran to help.

That’s citizenship. That’s why this is the best place in America to live.

SCHOOL COUNSELORS

2008-02-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a treat. Michelle Ivey, our Director of Victim Services and I met with the counselors of all the Fayette County schools. You may not know how important school counselors are to this community. I do.

When I recall my school days, I remember with fondness the counselors. They served as sponsors for clubs that I enjoyed. They helped navigate my way to college and, in the process, helped shape my dreams.

Now that I am District Attorney I see how valuable they are to public safety. They are the first to notice that a child has been physically abused. They recognize the red flags that alert us that a student is a danger to others. They are the ones to whom small children report sexual abuse. Increasingly, we look to the school counselors when we need a neutral person to honestly assess a situation involving a student.

As you can imagine, counselors are frequently subpoenaed to court as witnesses. That’s why I met with them. They wanted information about the court process and advice about how to testify. I saw the meeting as an opportunity to continue to build the alliance developing between law enforcement and the schools. Soon I’ll meet with the school nurses for the same reasons.

Everybody benefits when the people we trust to keep us safe communicate well and work together. This week we had two good examples.

Both Whitewater High School and McIntosh High School faced threats of violence from students. In both instances, school officials and law enforcement acted quickly and effectively and everybody was safe. We locked up those who posed the danger and then we investigated to honestly assess the severity of the threats.

No doubt, school counselors played a valuable role.
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TAKE OUT THE TRASH

2008-02-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

I saw a man picking up trash beside Antioch Road. It was hot. I’ve seen him there before when it was cold. I don’t know this man, but it doesn’t appear that he is required by a court to do this. It isn’t his job. I haven’t asked him why he picks up trash by the side of the road. I didn’t have to. This man loves his community and takes pride in keeping it a great place to live.

He’s not the only one. Fayette County is filled with people who feel the same way. Many of us chose this community because we realized it is a special place to live and raise a family.

These are the same folks who also love our country. Look at our cars. You’ll find magnetic ribbons honoring our troops. The American flag flies in our yards. We pay taxes, support our schools, and join clubs that benefit the community.

All we ask is that criminals leave us alone. They can’t have this place. It’s ours. Our children, our property, our elderly, and our friends are off limits. Leave us alone. If you don’t, you’d better run and hide, because our law enforcement will get you, we’ll prosecute, and our judges will put you away.

Unfortunately, criminals won’t read this. We have to send them the message after they’ve been caught. In future columns I’ll share with you how law enforcement and the courts are sending that message. Here’s a hint. It begins with folks who love the community and are willing to stand their ground. Imagine the look on the criminal’s face when twelve jurors like the guy who picks up trash beside the road walk into court!
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WHERE CRIMINALS LIVE

2008-02-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

I looked at the calendar for the September term of court. I wanted to know where the defendants live. Here is what I found.

Only 39.6 percent of the defendants charged with drug offenses live in Fayette County. That means 60.4 percent of them brought their drugs from other counties and we caught them here.

I checked non-violent crimes (financial card fraud, theft, forgery, shoplifting, etc.). Nearly eighty percent of those defendants live outside Fayette.

The more serious crimes on the calendar include sex offenses, burglary, aggravated assault, homicide, etc. Sixty-six percent of those defendants live in other counties.

It is clear that the threat is from the outside. It’s us against them. It’s our job to discourage them from coming here to break the law. Start neighborhood watch groups. Report crimes when you see them. Support our law enforcement. Come to jury duty when it’s your turn. The District Attorney’s Office will take it from there.

Our citizens are fed up. Our peace officers are excellent. Our judges are tough. This is not a good place to break the law.

Recently deputies caught a criminal near the north border of the county. The prisoner had a lot to say. He knew the sheriff. He knew the judge. The deputy was making a big mistake. There would be a lawsuit. The deputy replied, “You don’t know where you are, do you? You’re in Fayette County.” The prisoner slouched and mumbled, “They’ll hang a fellow there!”

That’s the message I want them to hear.
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