– Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 –
Good morning. It’s Thursday and in this week’s public safety newsletter, we’re covering Chatham County’s embattled district attorney and her reelection bid, the Glynn County Police Chief’s former department investigated by the feds and a Savannah detective’s firing records sealed from the public.
Questions, comments or story ideas? Contact me at jake.shore@thecurrentga.org.
Chatham DA to run again in 2024
Chatham County’s district attorney, facing sanctions from a federal judge and a state ethics complaint, said she plans to run for reelection.
Shalena Cook Jones, a Democrat, told The Current she has successes to make the case to voters for a second term, while she waved off criticisms that she considers to be partisan attacks.
“I’m looking forward to telling the public about the work that we have done,” Cook Jones said.
Three years into the role of top prosecutor in Chatham County, Cook Jones has faced numerous challenges — from the exodus of experienced prosecutors to Covid-induced court backlogs.
Read more about what the DA touted as her successes and about the order that threatened her professional reputation.
Lingering lawsuits, DOJ investigation
Gender discrimination allegations in the hiring and promotion of New Jersey State Police officers hung over the head of Scott Ebner, when Glynn County officials hired him away from New Jersey to Georgia in March 2023.
Glynn County officials brushed off any concerns when asked about them. Now, those claims are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to The New York Times.
While Ebner was not named in the article, his conduct is a major part of a lawsuit complaint filed by three women. They alleged the culture of NJSP under Ebner and other leaders led to female officers being ignored for promotions and disciplined for speaking out.
Lawyers representing Ebner have disputed the allegations and sought to dismiss him from the case. The lawsuit is still ongoing.
Read our original story looking into the gender discrimination suits.
Misconduct records sealed from public
A Chatham County Superior Court judge sealed records from public view related to the firing of a Savannah Police detective, information that could compromise an “ongoing criminal investigation,” according to court records.
Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes signed the order on Oct. 31 as part of a triple homicide case, keeping hidden the internal affairs investigation and the reason the Savannah Police Department terminated Cp. Darryl Repress, Jr. The news was first reported by The Savannah Morning News.
Repress was fired on Sept. 28, and his law enforcement certification is under review by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, the agency stated.
On Oct. 23, the Chatham County District Attorney’s office filed a motion for a protective order to seal the records. The motion confirms the existence of an ongoing criminal investigation, in which the internal investigation into Repress and his firing could be relevant. Two spokespeople for the Savannah Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Spokespeople for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office both said they have no pending investigation into Repress.
Officers responded to a home on 36th street in 2015 to find three men murdered. The case went unsolved but was reopened in 2021 with Repress leading the case. Three men were arrested and indicted for murder.
Attorneys for two of the men charged did not comment on Repress. But Michael Schiavone, a lawyer for defendant Stanley Hall, said he did voice objections to the judge’s decision to seal Repress’ record: “It’s part of a criminal case; the public has a right to know.”
Chatham DA to run for reelection in 2024, despite first-term challenges
Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones says she is running for reelection in 2024, while she disputes a federal judge’s sanctions and ethics complaint over campaign finance filings.
Chatham DA to appeal federal judge’s sanctions against her
DA Shalena Cook Jones plans to appeal federal sanctions brought against her, where a judge criticized the Chatham County District Attorney for ignoring deadlines, disrespecting the court and making false statements to avoid a deposition. Her appellate lawyer says prosecuting crimes comes first. Cook Jones has been sanctioned in the past for similar […]
New Glynn police chief’s past lawsuits linger
Ebner, 54, now Glynn County Police Department chief, has not been found liable in these past NJ cases. The allegations and his background played a role in two of five other municipalities where he has sought law enforcement jobs in the last year to drop him from contention.
Glynn police roadside invasive body search highlights training issues
New Glynn County Police Chief Scott Ebner says he will prioritize training on policies, after February body cavity search of an alleged shoplifter violated department rules.
500 new police guns will help failing recruits pass academy, Savannah brass says
The Savannah Police Department and city leaders made misleading claims advocating for 500 new guns with red-dot sights. One reason was that the sights will help failing recruits pass the police academy.
Messy vetting process kept Savannah officer’s disciplinary history hidden when hired
Officer Ernest Ferguson had a long disciplinary record as a prison guard An ex-supervisor hid that fact when he was seeking work with Savannah police.
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