Drunk Driver Kills Former NW Georgia Mayor
Few details were available after an allegedly intoxicated driver lost control of his pickup and swerved into the path of an oncoming SUV, killing a former Emerson mayor and his wife. The wreck happened in Cherokee County. Albert Pallone was the mayor of Emerson, a city of about 1,400 people in neighboring Bartow County northwest […]
Less Crime Act takes full effect in 2023
Most of the Law Enforcement Strategic Support Act went into effect in mid-2022. The remainder, which is mostly a tax credit for private contributions to police retirement and certain other funds, takes effect January 1, 2023. Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan championed the measure. Police departments may use donated funds for actions like increasing officer salaries, […]
The Incredible Shrinking Police Force
Atlanta has about 500,000 residents and about a 1,600-officer police force. The DeKalb County Sherriff’s Office, which is responsible for about 500,000 people, has fewer than six hundred men and women in uniform. Only about half these officers are available to respond to 9-1-1 calls. Many precincts only have a handful of field officers on […]
A Holiday Party Tip from the Supremes
Party hosts should have rides home on standby, and require guests to use them, if they use the Supreme Court’s unofficial eggnog. The recipe was buried in the papers of Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone, who served in that capacity between 1941 and 1946. A sudden brain hemorrhage unexpectedly killed Stone, who was the first […]
Atlanta PD Arrest Man for Being a Troublemaker
Officers responding to a disturbance call arrested a man for obstruction of justice and illegally being in a roadway. During the process, an allegedly drunk driver struck an officer, sending him to the hospital in critical condition. A tipster claimed a man was threatening a woman with a weapon at a gas station. Officers located […]
Two Wrongfully Convicted Georgia Men are Home for Christmas
Following a 1996 Russian Roulette shooting, prosecutors used faulty eyewitness testimony to convict two men for a murder they didn’t commit, a court recently held. Prosecutors initially charged one of the men, who was in the room with the victim, with manslaughter. Later, under pressure from the deceased teen’s family, prosecutors upgraded the charges to […]
Santa Claus and Holiday Hit-and-Runs
Back in the 1970s, the novelty Christmas song Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was a big hit. They even made a cartoon movie out of it. Although the incident happened about fifty years ago, depending on how authorities responded, Santa might want to watch his back when he visits Cityville. According to the […]
Politician Urges FBI to Crack Down on Violent Crimes
Under pressure from U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, FBI Director Christopher Wray promised to focus on several different areas and stem the violent crime uptick in Georgia. Initially, Director Wray highlighted “traditional drivers” such as drugs, weapons, and gangs. He also expressed concern about an “alarming uptick” in violent juvenile crimes. Many at-risk children didn’t go […]
Formal and Informal Expungement and Sealing in Cobb County
In 2021, Cobb County had one of the highest arrest rates in the state. The direct consequences of a criminal conviction usually include court supervision and a fine, especially if the defendant has no criminal record. The indirect consequences are often much worse. Assaults, even misdemeanor assaults, are a good example. A conviction usually means […]
Authorities Crack Down on Gang Activity
A Lumpkin man, who now faces about a half-dozen criminal charges, is the latest person to get caught in a massive gang activity crackdown that stretches across most of Georgia. The investigation began after Lumpkin Police officers conducted a traffic stop involving the man and a minor. According to the GBI, the man briefly attempted […]
