Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009
Crime
reports on crimes, wrecks, fires & courts
18 charged by sheriffs office
Stringer accused of murder, arson in Hoschton
THE JACKSON County
Sheriff’s Office arrested 18
people during the past week,
including the following:
•April Beatrena Goodrich,
36, 50 Preston Court,
Commerce, possession of
arms by a convicted felon.
•Brandy Danielle Hollis, 22,
353 Hillside Way, Maysville,
theft by shoplifting.
•Amy Renee Jennings, 31,
5242 Dahlonega Highway,
Clermont, violation of proba
tion and failure to appear.
•Brian Joshua Hickman, 23,
104 Wyatt Street, Jefferson,
battery, two counts of cruelty
to children and obstructing or
hindering a 911 call.
•Stacy Douglas Medlock,
43, 113 C. Cranes M.H. Drive,
Homer, four counts of issu
ance of bad checks.
•Tony Aubrey Norris, 39,
552 Lord Road, Commerce,
obscured tag, open container
and driving while license sus
pended.
•Jennifer NMN Allen, 36,
91 Mansfield Street, Hartford,
Conn., theft by receiving sto
len property.
•Jesse Lamar Haney Jr., 43,
1499 Pocket Road, Braselton,
child support arrest orders.
•Michael Eugene Taylor Sr.,
35, 74 Peppers Street, Arcade,
violation of parole.
•Michael Kevin White, 40,
474 Whitney Road, Lot 7,
Jefferson, child support arrest
orders.
•Carlos Borela, 25, 3530
Chase Drive, Gainesville, no
license and passing in a no
passing zone.
•Eula Ann Burley, 67, 238
Williamson Lane, Commerce,
two counts of issuance of bad
checks.
•Steven Allen Hollis, 25,
353 Highland Way, Maysville,
theft by shoplifting.
•Stacey Lee Duckworth,
30, 6548 Thompson Road,
Clermont, violation of proba
tion.
•Loujean Johnson, 53, 218
Holiday Cemetary Road,
Jefferson, two counts of viola
tion of probation.
•Jeremy William Lopez,
31, 5809 Hensley Road, Lula,
violation of probation.
•Matthew Phillip Standley,
47,239 Ryans Road, Jefferson,
hit and run and issuance of
bad checks.
•Michael Preston Dasher, 30,
829 Myles Circle, Jefferson,
issuance of bad checks.
Jackson County
Sheriff's Office
iCtiminal Investigate
% Stan E, Evans Sheriff
SEABOLT COMPLETES TRAINING COURSE
Jody Seabolt (R) graduated from the Northeast Georgia
Police Academy on July 17,2009. Seabolt participated in
the 10-week, 408-hour Basic Law Enforcement Training
Course as required by the Georgia Peace Officer
Standards and Training Council. The course provides
instruction in the areas of criminal justice, criminal law,
constitutional law, community relations, modern police
procedures, firearms, emergency vehicle operations,
and first aid training. The completion of the course rep
resents the 230th session graduated by the Academy.
Seabolt is employed with the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office and is shown with Captain Chuck Ledford.
BY ANGELA GARY
A MAN facing the death
penalty for the murder of
four people in Hoschton was
in court four hours Friday
when 50 motions related to
the case were heard.
Most of the motions in the
Henry Lee Stringer case dealt
with the unconstitutionality
of the death penalty. Judge
Joe Booth denied all of these
motions.
In an earlier hearing, anoth
er 50 motions were heard,
bringing the total to 100 so
far. More motions in the case
will be heard Dec. 2-4 before
Judge Booth. Booth's rulings
on the motions will lay the
groundwork on the upcom
ing death penalty trial. A
trial date has not been set,
although it will likely be next
year.
At last week’s hearing,
Stringer was present, but did
not speak. Stringer is facing
the death penalty for alleg
edly killing his girlfriend,
Marvelette Strickland, 29,
their children J'Majuan
Stringer, 4, and J’Lasia
Stringer, 2, and Marvelette's
mother, Evelyn Strickland,
68.
Their bodies were found
inside their burning house on
Hwy. 332 Jackson County on
May 30, 2006. Authorities
believe that Marvelette
Strickland and Evelyn
Strickland were stabbed
before the house was set on
STRINGER
fire.
Stringer was arrested in
Barrow County a year after
the murder-arson. He was
indicted by a Jackson County
grand jury in June 2007 and
again in February 2008 on 16
counts related to the case.
Stringer has pled not guilty
to the charges, which include
four counts of malice murder,
six counts of felony murder,
two counts of aggravated
assault, two counts of cru
elty to children, one count of
aggravated battery and one
count of arson.
MOTIONS HEARD
FRIDAY
Among the motions filed
Friday by the defense,
Stringer’s attorneys asked
that the word “murder” be
restricted in the courtroom.
This motion was denied.
Before the motion was
denied, assistant district
attorney Deborah Wilbanks
said: “There will be times
when the word murder will
be used. The charges are
murder.”
The defense also asked for
limits on the misuse of the
words, “not guilty, innocent
and innocence.”
Judge Booth denied this
and said, “I will deal with
objections as they come up
in the trial.”
Stringer’s attorneys also
asked that family members
of the victims and other peo
ple be told to refrain from
showing emotion in the
courtroom. Judge Booth did
not rule on this, but said he
would address the issue dur
ing the trial.
“I’m not ready to start
assigning seats,” he said.
“...I will take every precau
tion to control the emotion of
the courtroom.”
Another motion was a
request for the attorneys and
Stringer to go to the crime
scene in preparation for the
trial. Judge Booth said he
would address security con
cerns related to this with the
sheriff.
“If it is a security risk,
it’s not a consideration,” he
said.
Other motions filed by
Stringer’s attorneys included
the following:
•that a mental health evalu
ation not be ordered by the
state unless an intent is given
to use a mental insanity
defense. Wilbanks pointed
out that was a “moot point”
since the defense was not
arguing insanity. The judge
didn’t ordered a mental eval
uation, but reserved the right
to do so.
•a request to throw out
the indictment because it is
“vague and indefinite.” This
motion was denied. Several
other motions attempted to
have the indictment thrown
out but all were denied.
•a request that witnesses
not be allowed to talk to
each other and a mistrial
be declared if they do. The
judge said he would inform
all attorneys involved to
inform the witnesses not to
speak to each other but added
that to “order in advance that
a mistrial be declared would
be premature.”
•a request to appoint a
“witness monitor” to ensure
that nothing improper occurs.
The judge said the bailiff
handles the duties that were
being requested for a witness
monitor to do.
•a request to allow more
than the two hours allocated
for closing statements. The
judge said he would grant
more time if it is needed.
•a request to reimburse
jurors the cost of day care.
This was denied.
•a request that the alternate
jurors not be identified until
the end of the trial. This
motion was granted.
Vandalism at Braselton pumping station last week
VANDALISM WAS report
ed at a pumping station in
Braselton last week, accord
ing to an incident report
filed at the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office.
An employee went to the
site after receiving a power
failure alarm. He found that
the power meter for the sta
tion had been torn off and the
fence had been kicked in.
Other incidents reported to
the sheriff’s office last week
include the following:
•a Braselton woman said
her ex-husband threatened
her.
•pistol taken from a truck
parked at a Jacob Drive,
Hoschton, home.
•mailbox damaged at an
Addison Lane, Hoschton,
residence.
•house damaged at an
Ednaville Circle, Braselton,
address.
•GPS and satellite receiver
taken from a vehicle parked at
a Pine Cone Court, Hoschton,
location.
•aluminum siding and other
items taken from the yard of
a New Liberty Church Road,
Braselton, residence
•electronics and other items
taken from a garage at a Hale
Road, Maysville, residence.
•battery during a dispute
between a Nicholson woman
and her ex-boyfriend.
•verbal dispute between
a married couple at a Pace
Drive, Nicholson, residence.
•riding lawn mower taken
from an Ivy Creek Drive,
Nicholson, location.
•boat on fire at an Old
Hoods Mill Road, Commerce,
address.
•simple battery during a
dispute between a couple at
an Old Harden Orchard Road,
Commerce, location.
•fight between two women
at a Hwy. 441 address.
•shoplifting at a Banks
Crossing business.
•verbal dispute between a
couple at a Standridge Road,
Jefferson, address.
•battery during a dis
pute between a couple at a
Richmond Way, Commerce,
residence.
•wheels and tires taken
from a vehicle parked at a
Maysville Road, Maysville,
business.
•attempted burglary at
Creek Nation Road, Jefferson,
location.
•verbal dispute at a Wayne
Poultry Road, Pendergrass,
residence between a married
couple.
•boat and trailer taken from
a Ridgeway Church Road,
Maysville, address.
•checks stolen from a
Yarbrough-Ridgeway Road,
Maysville, location.
•microwave, television and
other items taken from an
Upland Drive, Maysville,
residence.
•computer, washer, dryer
and other items taken
from a Sandy Creek Road,
Nicholson, address.
•simple battery and tres
passing at a Sandy Creek
Road residence.
•harassing phone calls
at a Cabin Creek Circle,
Commerce location.
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