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The ADVANCE, May 31, 2023/Page 2A
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STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — J.D, Dickerson Primary School has announced the Students
of the Month for May. These students show pride at J.D, Dickerson and represent the
PBIS motto and schoolwide expectations: Be Responsible, Be Respectful and Be Safe.
(L to R): Back Row; Jacob Snell, Jonathan Lanier, Lance Oscar, Colten Widener, Cam
eron Grillon, Dariel Martinez; Middle Row: Janiyah Jackson, Brynlee Thompson, Arya
Wilcher, Addy Kate Ellis, Payton Perkins, Ja'Zoriah Cummings; Front Row: Parker Wick-
strom, Brayden Willis, Laura Vanness, Antoine Ellis, Naomi Achenbach. Not Pictured:
Mi'kee Brown, Jeremiah Hill, Hilkiah Jones, Cole Paradice, Georgia Mims, Bryson Hunt,
Taylor Mainer, Tydayci Hill, and Zayden Barton.
Reeves Argues JQC Charges
Inapplicable To Evidence
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Middle Judicial Cir
cuit Chief Superior Court
Judge Robert Reeves has
filed a motion to dismiss,
or in the alternative, a
motion for judgment on
pleadings for 58 formal
charges that were brought
against him by the Geor
gia Judicial Qualifications
Commission earlier this
year.
According to the Su
preme Court of Georgia
records, Reeves filed this
motion on May 15, citing
that the Constitutional
principles used as a basis
for the charges are inap
plicable to the situations
referenced. In this docu
ment, Reeves explained
that the Commission
stated that the presence of
“habitual intemperance”
and “conduct prejudicial
to the administration of
justice” within the judge’s
actions, which were re
ported through formal
complaints, are irrelevant
to the current investiga
tion and should therefore
not be used to determine
whether further corrective
action is necessary.
The Georgia Consti
tution provides the Com
mission with “the power
to discipline, remove, and
cause involuntary retire
ment of judges” on the ba
sis of “willful misconduct
in office, willful and persis
tent failure to perform the
duties of office, habitual
intemperance, conviction
of crimes involving moral
turpitude, or for conduct
prejudicial to the admin
istration of justice which
brings the judicial office
into disrepute.”
Though the Commis
sion does not define what
“habitual intemperance” is
through any of their official
documents, the Georgia
Code of Law associates the
term “intemperance” with
drunkenness throughout
various occupations other
than law. In the document
filed on May 15, Reeves ar
gued that the Commission
had confused the term “in
temperance” with “intem
perate,” and further stated,
“Throughout the Georgia
Code where intemper
ance justifies professional
discipline in other occupa
tions, the Legislature and
state agency regulators
have consistently declared
its clear meaning to con
stitute repeated public in
toxication.”
He further empha
sized that this clear mean
ing did not apply to spo
ken words, which is what
the evidence supplied by
the Formal Complaints re
ceived by the Commission
had been associated with
and therefore, are inappli
cable to the charges. Be
cause of this inapplicabil
ity, Reeves stated that the
authority to discipline him
based on “habitual intem
perance” should be dis
missed as a matter of law.
In addition to this,
the Judge explained that
most of the counts - 43 of
the 58 - which were filed
with the proposed viola
tion of “willful miscon
duct in office” could not
be used to permit profes
sional discipline by the
Commission because of
the referenced actions not
taking place in a judicial
capacity. As Reeves cited
in the document, the con
duct discussed in the for
mal charges took place in
various settings, such as
in private conversations
aside from Reeves’ judicial
duties within the court
room and through online
livestreams, separating
them from the legal um
brella of the violation. He
stated that the authorizing
provision for these spe
cific counts should be dis
missed as a matter of law.
Reeves now awaits the
Commission’s response to
this motion.
ODDS
Vacation
Bible
SchOOl-
Cedar Crossing
Baptist Church will
have Vacation Bible
School June 5-9, from
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Everyone age 2 to
adult is invited to at
tend.
Gospel
Concert—
A Gospel Concert
will be held at South
eastern Technical
College, 301 E. 1st
Street, Vidalia, on
Sunday, June 4, at
6:00 p.m., featuring
Roy and Revelation
of Hopkins, SC, King
dom Minded of Glen-
ville, Pastor Kee &
Men of Purpose, Vi
dalia, New Life Gos
pel Singers of Sylva-
nia, Voices of Genesis
of Baxley, and The
Believers of Faith of
Middle GA.
For more informa
tion, call 912-326-3861
OR 478-488-7492.
VIDALIA
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Dual Enrollment Sweeping The Area
of Georgia honor cord.
Combined, these
area high school seniors
completed nearly 8,000
credit hours. That is nearly
3,200 classes completed
while in high school and
over $1,812,000 saved in
tuition, fees, and books.
Among these seniors were
2 students from Appling
County High School, 1
student from Claxton High
School, 19 students from
Coastal Plains Charter
High School, 12 students
from David Emanuel Acad
emy, 2 students from East
Laurens High School, 4
home school students, 2
students from Jeff Davis
High School, 30 students
from Jenkins County High
School, 15 students from
Johnson County High
School, 70 students from
Metter High School and
Metter Career Academy,
12 students from Mont
gomery County High
School, 16 students from
Robert Toombs Christian
Academy, 16 students from
Swainsboro High School,
100 students from Tattnall
County High School, 71
students from Toombs
County High School, 27
students from Treutlen
County High School, 11
students from Vidalia Heri
tage Academy, 85 students
from Vidalia High School,
and 8 students from
Wheeler County High
School.
“That is a WIN in my
book for the students and
the parents,” remarked
Southeastern Technical
College High School Initia
tives Coordinator Melissa
Rowell.
Southeastern Tech
nical College offers 20
college-level classes, trans
ferable to any University
System of Georgia college
or university. Students also
have the opportunity to get
a jump start on a career by
taking occupational cours
es in a program area of their
interest.
To explore Dual En
rollment, visit www.south-
easterntech.edu, call (912)
538-3100 or (478) 289-
2200, or contact your high
school counselor.
Campus News
Courtesy of Southeastern
Technical College
Southeastern Techni
cal College (STC) had 531
Dual Enrollment students
receive recognition this
year for earning college
credit while in high school.
Dual Enrollment al
lows high school students
to take college courses to
earn both high school and
college credits. This pro
gram introduces students
to college-level coursework
and helps them learn what
it takes to be successful in
college. Dual Enrollment
helps students adjust to dif
ferent aspects of college, of
ten builds confidence, and
encourages the students
who need to be thinking
about furthering their edu
cation. Students are able to
take classes that are not of
fered on their high school
campuses. Most Dual En
rollment courses are held
on a Southeastern Techni
cal College campus, while
some are on a student’s
high school campus. Some
classes are online.
Offered to 10th-12th
graders, Dual Enrollment
allows students to save
time and money towards a
future degree. “High school
students who experience
college-level courses are
more prepared for college
and more likely to attain
a college degree,” reports
the Department of Educa
tion's What Works Clear
inghouse.
Seniors who complet
ed a Technical Certificate
of Credit or 12 or more
credit hours with a “C” or
higher during high school
received a Southeastern
Technical College Dual
Enrollment Medallion. In
addition to a medallion,
each student who earned
30 credit hours with a “C”
or higher was awarded a
Technical College System
Southeastern Technical
College has announced the
2023 Spring Semester Pres
ident's List. These students
earned a grade point aver
age of 3.75 or higher while
enrolled in 12 or more cred
it hours for the semester.
Area students include:
Montgomery Coun
ty: Ronnie Fountain, Dani-
ella Garcia, Abigail Phillips;
Toombs County: Vic
toria Barnard, Danny Cart
er, Ikeivia Clark, Dawson
Claxton, William Copeland,
Jason Dukes, Karson Evans,
Kimberly Farmer, Crystal
Flores, Tenekia Foreman,
Chase McLain, Kri'shon
McRae, Sidney Metts, Abby
Phillips, Kassidy Rivers,
Madison Sikes, Emily Ta
tum, Travis Turner, Zane
Wiggins, Whitney Wil
liams;
Treutlen County: Da
vid Braddy;
Wheeler County: Lin
da Horne, Jeremy Watson.
For information on
programs offered at STC,
visit www.southeastern-
tech.edu or call (912) 538-
3100 for the Vidalia campus
or (478) 289-2200 for the
Swainsboro campus.
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