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Forsyth CountvNews J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 190 *******<********** 3-DIGIT 306 nmonm MCI irrinrif n Vol. 95, No. 030 Turner trial staying put in Peny Attorneys fail to convince judge to transport jury to Cobb County By Nicole Green Staff Writer In spite of objections from prosecution and defense attor neys, Lynn Turner of Cumming will be tried in Houston County for the poisoning murder of her husband, the judge ruled Wednesday. On Feb. 4, Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford moved the trial out of Cobb County where the Turners resided until Glenn Turner's mysterious death in 1995. I Photo/Audra Perry Georgia Regional Transportation Authority director Steve Stancil talks with Randy Scott, center, and Tommy Eubanks, right, during Stancil’s Wednesday meeting with members of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce. Shorter 400 commute not in immediate future Transportation Authority head predicts slightly less time to Atlanta after road work By Nicole Green Staff Writer Forsyth County commuters can look forward to a shorter trip time on Ga. 4(X). but not until 2025. On Wednesday, the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce heard from Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) director Steve Stancil on the board’s recommendations to improve traf- 2 .1 ® aimUS PREMIUM 1 Photo/Audra Perry Going up Gas prices, as shown on this sign above a store on Hwy. 9 in Cumming, have been rising quickly in recent days. Prices appear to be no lower than $1.50 a gallon in Forsyth. See story, page 2A. Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) 887-3126. Copyright 0 2004 Forsyth County Nows 90994 04001 FRIDAY February 20, 2004 After three days of jury selec tion, the judge deter mined that an impartial jury could not be assem -1 bled due to extensive media cover- Turner age of the case. The trial, which is expected to last a month, was resched- sic in the Ga. 400 corridor. The current morning trip time from Cumming to the Buckhead area of north Atlanta is between 54 and 57 minutes, according to GRTA. After 5482 million in recommended improvements to Ga. 400, the commute would only shorten by four minutes due to predicted population growth. “By 2025 everything will be built out and your trip will be a little bit shorter," INDEX Abby Church events 8A Classifieds 7B Deaths ,2A Food 10A Horoscope T 6A Opinion 11A Spot IS 1 B uled for April 26 in Perry, Ga. Two weeks later, lawyers on both sides of the case petitioned Bodiford during a hearing Wednesday to change his mind. "The state and defense expressed their objections to having a complete change of venue and asked the judge to bring the jury back to Cobb," said Bodiford’s law clerk, Leann Dolin. Judge Bodiford, a team of Cobb district attorneys led by Patrick Head, defense lawyers Law forcing criminals to pay victims would be hard to enforce, DA says By Harris Blackwood Community Editor ATLANTA A bill requiring convicted criminals to pay for their victim's medical or emotional injuries has passed the Georgia Senate by a vote of 47-1. The bill, sponsored by Sen Renee Unterman. R-Loganville. requires a presiding judge to hold a hearing to determine the costs the convicted criminal must pay to the victim for medical and psychological expenses. Under, current law, the decision on payment of expenses is left up to the judge. Unterman’s decision to sponsor the legislation followed a case in Gwinnett County where the judge failed to assess medical or psycho- Food Soup is good food, has long history. PagelOA Jim Berry and Vic Reynolds, Turner herself and myriad wit nesses will have to be trans ported and housed in Houston County. Rather than move Cobb to Houston, the attorneys urged the judge to bring 12 Houston jurors and three alter nates to Cobb. Bodiford said that if jurors were brought in from Houston County he would have to sequester them. Consequently, he ruled to conduct the trial in Perry, Dolin said. Stancil said. GRTA recently released the Northern Sub-Area Study/GA 4(X) Corridor Analysis which has been in the works since 2000. Study results recommend making use of the median and shoulder of Ga. 400 to cre ate an HOV lane and an express bus transit lane. By 2025, Ga. 400 would be three lanes south of Ga. 306 in Forsyth County See COMMUTE, Page 2A Religion See what’s happening in local churches. PageSA □EUnbIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT «G 0 DAWGS* * UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA MAIN LIBR ATHENS GA 30G0E a logical counseling costs for a com ict c c " 1,11 na ' w ° molested his daughter. |H *-•> “The family raß JH has suffered and jSwy h at i ,o p ;, y t° r years of therapy BL—BEB f° r ’l l6 young Unterman f ,rl ' sa ‘ d Unterman, who represents the eastern portion of Forsyth County in the Senate. “This happened in a very exclusive neighborhood. He got away with just jail time and is not having to pay." She said that the family was on the brink of financial ruin as a result. The bill was supported by the Voters’ choice Photo/Audra Perry Forsyth County Chief Registrar Gary Smith shows sample ballots for the choice between the 2001 and 2003 state flags. Georgia voters can make their decision Monday through Friday of next week during the state’s advance voting period, or on Election Day on March 2. Georgians can cast ballots next week or on March 2 From staff reports Registered voters in Forsyth County can begin cast ing their ballots next week at the County Administration Building upstairs just outside of the commissioners' auditorium. The program is a new' initiative by the state to encourage more people to vote by adding days to the voting period. It works, in part, much like casting an absentee ballot only the voter does not have to pro vide an excuse as to why they would be unable to vote on the designated day; in this case March 2. "They must fill out an absentee ballot form," said Forsyth County Chief Registrar Gary Smith. "Once they turn it in, they vote on electronic voting machines." Included on the ballot will be the county's $65 mil lion bond referendum for a justice center and a choice of state flag. In addition, those who vote on the Democrat ballot w ill be electing a candidate for the November presiden tial election. Smith said he does not think there will be a big turnout for the election, due to the number of absentee ballots that have been filed. As of Wednesday, about 100 absentee ballots had been cast at the elections office. "At this point in time, it would appear that the elec tion is going to be very light," Smith said. Advance voting at the County Administration Building will occur Monday through Friday of next w'eek from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Possible Rain LAKE LANIER LEVELS \ Date Level j | Feb. 15 1069.13 ft Feb. 16 1069.24 ft ill ml Feb. 17 1069.31 ft 111 II I Feb. 18 1069.35 ft Fuß 1071.00 ft High in the low 60s. „. Low in the mid-40s. Forsyth prep soccer previewed ■O C r * m * na l Justice Cooidi n a t i n g Council iCJCC). JjW victim- wit ne • s MH fIIH assistance I grams. and '■ nggfr" Fl "'unen’s adsoi.K' groups, according Br*R to Unterman. UgHSk— J Forsyth County p enn District Attorney Penny Penn said that Unterman’s bill would be diffi cult to enforce. “If you commit a murder and are in prison, how on earth are you going to pay that?" asked Penn. "Look at all the defendants who are indigent and have court-appointed attorneys.” See LAW, Page 2A