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Forsyth Count vNews
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Vol. 95, No. 019
‘Anti-freeze murder’ trial starts Monday
By Steven H. Pollak
Staff Writer
MARIETTA The trial of Julia Lynn
Turner begins tomorrow.
The Cumming woman’s case which has
attracted nationwide media attention is
expected to attract droves of reporters, photog
raphers and television cameramen to the Cobb
County courthouse where she will stand trial
on one count of murder in connection with the
alleged antifreeze poisoning death of her Cobb
police officer husband, Glenn Turner, in 1995.
During the month-long trial, the jury also
Dramatic Experience
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Photos/David McGregor
Above, Shawn Brown of Atlanta-based Role Model Productions entertains
students at Discovery Point daycare center on Sanders Road during a
drama class he conducted for them last week. Among those 4- and 5-year
olds giving their full attention were, at right, from top, Anthony Burno. Abby
Ross and Matthew Kenny.
Revisions
planned
for tree
ordinance
From staff reports
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners will address various
changes in county law Monday
including controversial revisions to
the county’s tree ordinance and
restricting private ownership of new
sewage plants.
County Arborist Greg Wallace,
who was recently hired as the county
arborist, said Friday county staff is
going to recommend changes to the
tree ordinance to clarify its inten
tions.
Former County Arborist Van
Moore who helped write the new
See TREES, Page 2A
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Copyright © 2003 Forsyth County News
0 90994 04000 7
Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1901
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Turner
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Photo/David McGregor
Chief Magistrate Barbara Cole
INDEX
Abby 6B
Births 4B
Classifieds 3C
Deaths 2A
Forsyth Life IB
Horoscope 6B
Opinion 10A
Sports 1C
SUNDAY February 1,2004
will hear about the 2001
death of Forsyth County
firefighter Randy Thomp
son, Turner’s boyfriend
and the father of her two
children.
No charges have ever
been filed in connection
with Thompson’s death
but a Georgia Bureau of
Investigation agent pre
viously called Julia Lynn
Turner a “suspect” in the
case.
Columnist Bill Shipp
on the upcoming
primary in Georgia.
PagelOA
Earlier this summer, Cobb prosecutors con
vinced the Superior Court judge who will pre
side over the case, James G. Bodiford, that
information from Thompson’s death would be
relevant to their case and therefore, ought to be
introduced as evidence during the trial.
Bodiford’s decision essentially permits
prosecutors to connect Julia Lynn Turner to
two men who died under similar circum
stances. If convicted, she faces a life sentence.
Both men’s deaths were originally thought
to be the result of natural causes. However,
subsequent tests by the GBI revealed allegedly
toxic levels of ethylene glycol in their bodies.
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The Judge Speaks Out
Magistrate Cole responds to critics, lawyers, controversies
By Steven H. Pollak
Staff Writer
There’s a law degree hanging on the wall behind
her chair, an “Elect Cole” poster on the wall next to
the door and a large bottle of Pepto Bismol on her
desk.
The chief magistrate says the pink stuff is for a
recent gall bladder problem but it's easy to imagine
Barbara A. Cole developing an ulcer after presiding
over the raw justice in her courtroom, which she
affectionately refers to as “the emergency room of
law.”
Sh 6 is planning to run for re-election as the
Republican candidate in this year’s race and, in a
rare interview granted last week, Cole discussed her
first term as the county's chief magistrate, her occa
sionally stormy relationships with attorneys and her
plans for the future.
In many instances, Magistrate Court is the first
contact the public has with the judicial system. It
resembles the “reality” courts depicted on daytime
television, with men and women representing them
selves in attempts to settle small claims disputes
with their landlords, bosses, employees, husbands,
wives, business partners and anyone else.
In addition, the magistrate issues arrest warrants,
Forsyth high school
basketball
action.
Page 1C
Ethylene glycol is a sweet, odorless chemi
cal found in antifreeze.
Turner’s story, her relationships with these
two men and the speculation over what led to
their deaths has fueled intense media coverage
at almost every stage of the investigation and
prosecution of the case.
The saga of the Cumming woman has been
featured on almost every Atlanta television sta
tion as well as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
CNN, ABC News’ “20/20” program, the
Associated Press and People Magazine.
See TRIAL, Page 7A
Private firm’s
authority
to condemn
challenged
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
On Jan. 18, 2002, the Forsyth County government
granted a private utility company the power to con
demn private property to run sewer lines to service the
east side of Ga. 400 in north Forsyth, according to
Commission Chairman Jack Conway.
Though Conway wasn’t on the Board of
Commissioners at the time the agreement was made,
he said it was his understanding Ken Curren and
Waterscapes Utility were given that power.
“I think there was eminent domain in [that agree
ment],” Conway said, adding it’s not a power the cur
rent board would give.
“In my opinion, I don’t think that we give anybody
total eminent domain,” Conway said. “It always has to
be with the acquiescence of the Board of
Commissioners.”
However, several property owners are questioning
the company’s right to condemn their land to run a
sewer line to serve a new subdivision. Their attorney
says the company may be using the power it was
given to help itself, not the public.
One of the property owners. Ward Duncan, said he
doesn’t want the sewer line installed on his property
on Bennett Road.
“I don’t need the money,” he said.
Waterscape has been attempting to secure an ease
ment through the properties in question for a year, and
recently threatened condemnation in a strongly word
ed letter that told property owners fighting against the
inevitable would cost them in the long run.
Eminent domain, also referred to as condemnation,
is a power that some charge is abused by governmen
tal entities to acquire property —for a price —for
improvements that are in the greater interest of the
See CONDEMN, Page 3A
sets bond amounts and rules on cases involving vio
lations of county ordinances.
The disputes occasionally descend into fistfights,
both inside the courtroom and out in the parking lot.
Unhappy people have spjt at the Magistrate staff
through the window at the front counter and Cole
herself says she’s been threatened.
“It’s sort of like a Grady emergency room.” she
said. “It’s like the emergency room of law here.”
The need to rule in favor of one side at the
expense of the other necessarily means Cole will
upset some litigants, leaving them feeling slighted,
hurt, grieved and, sometimes, angry.
However, Cole’s critics are not limited to those
who visit her courtroom. Last year, the Georgia
General Assembly enacted a law requiring the chief
magistrate of Forsyth County to be a member of the
State Bar of Georgia effective 2009.
Cole, who graduated from Atlanta’s John
Marshall Law School in December of 1999 but has
not passed the State Bar exam, says she believes the
legislation sponsored by state Rep. Jack Murphy (R-
Cumming) was a coordinated attempt to remove her
from office.
Other criticism has been more direct. The
See COLE, Page 9A
Partly Cloudy
High in the low 40s.
Low in the low 30s.
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LIFE, 1B
Gov.’s son plans Forsyth ministry.
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Jan. 27 1068.03 ft
Jan. 28 1068.03 ft
Jan. 29 1067.92 ft
Jan. 30 1067.92 ft
Full 1071.00 ft