– Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 –
Good morning. In this week’s newsletter, we’re reporting on how Chatham County’s district attorney failed to submit necessary election disclosures (again), a guilty plea in a Glynn County road rage shooting and ethical violations against a Chatham probate judge.
Questions, comments or story ideas? You can reach us at staff@thecurrentga.org.
NEWS: ELECTIONS
Chatham district attorney misses legal deadline
The incumbent Chatham County District Attorney missed the October deadline to report campaign donations and her personal finances, according to Georgia Campaign Finance Commission records.
The incumbent Democratic district attorney, Shalena Cook Jones, was fined by ethics officials last December for failing to file documents from her 2020 campaign. The latest missed deadline contributes to an incomplete picture for voters considering candidates in the county’s marquee race.
Meanwhile, her Republican opponent, Andre Pretorius, reported approximately $256,000 in campaign funding between July and September. Among those backing the first-time candidate are some of Chatham County’s wealthiest individuals and most powerful local Republican elected leaders.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
Local stories we’re watching
Glock tops list again of crime guns recovered by Savannah police: Pistols manufactured by Glock made up the largest share of guns recovered by Savannah Police detectives at crime scenes in 2023, according to data from the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund with help from Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The easy to use and relatively-inexpensive firearms are popular among criminals across the U.S., the data shows. Everytown says that manufacturers like Georgia-based Glock, Inc., can do more to track and prohibit sales of guns that end up used in crimes.
Glynn County judge sentences Brunswick man to 18 years in prison for road rage shooting: A Brunswick man, Jalen Cook, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, according to an Oct. 8 press release from Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins. He was sentenced in the Dec. 26, 2023 shooting, which stemmed from a road rage incident near the Sidney Lanier Bridge. Road rage shootings have increased dramatically in the U.S. and Georgia as dangerous driving, firearms and aggression mix on American roads.
Federal agency temporarily allowing food stamp benefits in exchange for hot foods in Georgia counties: The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a temporary waiver on Tuesday allowing SNAP benefits to be used in exchange for hot foods or foods made by retailers in 84 counties. These include all of Coastal Georgia’s counties. The waiver is intended to help families still impacted by Hurricane Helene’s devastation last month.
NEWS: COURTS
One more thing: Chatham judge’s ethics violations
State investigators found that a recently-reelected Chatham County Probate Judge violated judicial standards by letting multiple cases languish for years, amounting to “willful misconduct in office.”
The ethics charges brought by the Judicial Qualifications Commission director against Judge Thomas “Tom” Bordeaux detail nine cases where he failed to respond or adjudicate cases in a timely fashion. In one of his cases, more than seven years passed without a ruling from the judge, the charges say.
Probate courts deal with wills, estates and the legal oversight of minors or incapacitated adults. Bordeaux was elected in 2016 and took over after the former chief clerk of Chatham County Probate Court pleaded guilty to stealing more than $750,000 from court bank accounts.
The disciplinary charges against Bordeaux now go to the hearing panel of the Qualifications Commission, which will decide what discipline is necessary and make its recommendations to the Supreme Court.
Chatham district attorney misses legal deadline to disclose donations, again
District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones missed the legal deadline to file election disclosures for the Chatham County race. Her opponent Andre Pretorius reported around $250,000, which came from Chatham County’s wealthiest individuals and top state Republicans.
Georgia issues water permits for Hyundai plant
State regulators issue final water withdrawal permits for the Hyundai site and associated development.
5 things: What to know about Georgia’s new election measures
While lawsuits rage on, here’s what voters need to know about what these measures mean for them and how they got to this point.
Georgia Supreme Court reinstates six-week abortion ban while state appeals
The law was overturned as unconstitutional under the Georgia Constitution, finding that women should have the freedom to decide whether to be “human incubators for the five months leading up to viability.”
Hyundai Metaplant announces assembly of first electric vehicle
Since construction began in January 2023, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) and 6 other affiliate plants have risen quickly, with a cost in workplace injuries.
Debunking a Liberty County election rumor
A review of the footage, which Liberty County deputies monitor at the nearby Justice Center, showed a different angle of the same people as in the social media stills—as well as a fourth unidentified person seated on a bench in front of Zum Rosenhof.
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