Liberty Sheriff Targeted In Election

– Thursday, May 2, 2024 –

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Good morning. Early voting is underway in the May 21 state primary election, and important public safety races in Coastal Georgia are on the ballot. In this week’s newsletter, we’re looking at two contentious sheriff’s races in Camden and Liberty counties, as well as news out of the Georgia Supreme Court.

Incumbent’s records are being thoroughly examined, and barbs are flying — we’re here to help you sort out what’s important to know before heading to the ballot box. Questions, comments or story ideas? You can reach me at jake.shore@thecurrentga.org.

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ELECTIONS

Jail’s state of decay, deputy arrests

The typically staid election for sheriff in Camden County has been supercharged amid questions of leadership, accountability and taxpayer responsibility. Voters will have their first two choices in the May 21 election in former CCSO Maj. Kevin Chaney and County Commissioner Trevor Readdick.

The two men are vying for the spot of Republican nominee, and the winner takes on Sheriff Jim Proctor, who is seeking his fourth term as an Independent, in November.

Since late 2022 the sheriff’s office has been inundated with misconduct and rising costs, as state police have charged six jailors and deputies related to violent incidents and insurance premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed in response.

The Current sat down with both Chaney and Readdick to learn about what they plan to do to address those issues, as well as their priorities and life experiences.

Public Safety reporter Jake Shore and photojournalist Justin Taylor also talked with Proctor and went on a tour of the dilapidated jail. Here’s what we saw.

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COURTS

Supreme Court rules in ex-Glynn chief’s favor

The Georgia Supreme Court made a decisive ruling on Tuesday, invalidating the indictment which accused former Glynn County Police Chief John Powell of criminal wrongdoing.

The ruling likely sounds the death knell for criminal proceedings against Powell, who was first charged in February 2020 with failing to investigate misconduct in the department’s narcotics unit. Since then, the case went through two prosecutors, another indictment, guilty pleas from two officers, and multiple court challenges by Powell and Scott before reaching the Supreme Court for oral arguments in February 2024. 

Powell’s lawyer argued that the sloppy indictment did not match the “crimes” Powell was accused of. He also argued that policy violations were not the same thing as criminal offenses.

Read more here about the legal case against Powell, the Supreme Court justices’ unanimous decision, and the lasting impact of the defunct corrupt drug unit.

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ELECTIONS

Liberty sheriff facing multiple challengers

Five men are vying for the role of Liberty County sheriff, and voters will have to choose between four of them on May 21.

The race in Liberty, the Democratic-voting and majority-minority county, is largely a referendum on current Sheriff William Bowman. Bowman was the first Black sheriff elected in the county’s history in 2020 but has taken criticism for his leadership and decisionmaking.

In May 2022 Bowman defended how his deputies handled a controversial traffic stop of a bus carrying a historically Black university women’s lacrosse team. The stop and national scrutiny resulted in a Department of Justice consent agreement to increase racial bias training for his deputies. In recent weeks Bowman has had to explain why he used funds obtained from speed camera tickets, which are intended for public safety purposes, in giveaways to a Liberty County school and a youth basketball team — and detailed in favorable social media posts. The Liberty County Board of Commissioners took control of the fund away from Bowman.

The Current‘s Liberty County reporter, Robin Kemp, has spent the last few weeks sifting through the records of all the candidates, including Bowman’s, seeking to be elected to sheriff. Read more here about what she found.

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UPDATE: Last week, we wrote about the increase in Fair Housing Act prosecution from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. That included a case against a Savannah landlord accused of sexually harassing his female tenants for years. In the final consent order filed this week, Iraj Shambayati was ordered to pay $590,000 to settle the claims against him. You can read the order here.

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