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The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
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SECTION A: VOL. 25 NO. 1
TheChampion
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JULY 2 - 8, 2015
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Jordan and Cat Carnes-Miller got married at the DeKalb County Courthouse soon after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex
marriage is legal in all states. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
Same-sex marriage: It s s the law
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
D eKalb County was ready to
issue same-sex marriage li
censes when the U.S. Supreme
Court made them legal June 26.
“We were prepared for this,”
said Probate Court Judge Jeryl
Debra Rosh. “The highest court
in the land has ruled on the issue,
and it is up to rest of the judiciary
to follow the law and accommodate
the citizens of each jurisdiction.”
According to Magda Mena,
a DeKalb County Probate Court
administrator, during a normal 24-
hour period approximately 20-30
marriage licenses are issued. On
June 26-27, 40 and 27 were issued,
respectively.
The Carnes-Millers are a cou
ple who wed at the DeKalb County
Courthouse hours after the ruling
was announced.
“I’m a history major in college
and I don’t think there’s been a
historical moment in the LGBTQ
[lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
queer] movement that hasn’t been
documented by thousands of won
derful LGBTQs and I wanted to be
a part of that today,” said Cat Bre-
anna Carnes-Miller of Decatur.
“The Supreme Court ruling
means that we’re one baby step
closer to true equality to all LG
BTQ individuals, including trans
people, including the [transgender]
women of color that are murdered
at exponentially higher rates than
anyone else,” Cat Breanna Carnes-
Miller said. “I think this brings
about acceptance, brings about
love, and I think we are a step clos
er to where we need to be.”
The couple had been engaged
for a while, a ceremony previously
planned for next year “is just going
to be a renewal of vows now,” she
said.
“I think it’s a really big deal
especially that the South has legal
ized marriage regardless of gender,”
said Jordan Forrest Carnes-Miller.
“There’s a lot more to be done, es
pecially in regards to [transgender]
issues but.. .we’re one step closer to
acceptance of different lifestyles.”
“It’s just an awesome day to
celebrate,” Jordan Forrest Carnes-
Miller said.
The U. S. Supreme Court an
nounced its 5-4 decision June 26
that same-sex couples have a right
to marry anywhere in the United
States. As a result of the ruling,
Georgia and 13 other states in the
South and Midwest can no longer
enforce bans on same-sex marriage.
“It is now clear that the chal
lenged laws burden the liberty of
same-sex couples, and it must be
further acknowledged that they
abridge central precepts of equal
ity,” said Supreme Court Justice
Anthony Kennedy.
Gov. Nathan Deal said Georgia
will follow federal law.
“While I believe that this issue
should be decided by the states and
by legislatures, not the federal ju
diciary, I also believe in the rule of
law. The state of Georgia is subject
to the laws of the United States, and
we will follow them,” he said.
Congressman Hank Johnson
(GA-04) said the “historic Supreme
Court ruling means all Americans-
regardless of their gender or gender
identity-have the right to marry
the person they love.
“It also reaffirms equal protec
tion under the law in accordance
with the 14th Amendment,” he
said. “We are all more free when
See Marriage on page 13A
Ellis trial
in hands
of jury
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
Burrell Ellis’ fate is in the
hands of a jury, again.
Closing arguments were
heard June 24, a day after tes
timony ended in the retrial of
the DeKalb County CEO ac
cused of strong-arming vendors
to donate to his reelection cam
paign in 2012.
“After weeks of testimony,
after countless tape record
ings. .. [and] diagrams.. .the sim
ple truth has not changed,” said
Ellis’ defense attorney Craig
Gillen. “The evidence has
not shown one single dime
in Burrell Ellis’ pocket.. .that
shouldn’t be there.
“We have listened to these
tapes on and on and on,” Gillen
said. “The tapes are very impor
tant.
“Thank goodness for the
tapes because the tapes show
you what he really said, not
what Mr. [Kelvin] Walton said
[Ellis] meant,” Gillen said.
Walton, a former county
procurement director under El
lis, was the prosecutor’s key wit
ness, who recorded hours and
hours of conversations for the
state.
“Debt, desperation and de
ceit—that was their theme. The
problem is the evidence didn’t
fit their theme,” Gillen said.
Gillen said Walton was “the
putty man” whom prosecutors
called in “every time there was a
hole in the state’s case.” Walton
was brought in to testify seven
times in Ellis retrial, Gillen said.
“I agree with [prosecutors]
when they say don’t believe a
single thing out of his mouth,”
See Ellis on page13A
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