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Continued From 1A
THURSDAY. JUNE 3. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Wigington
they were angry and wanted
Wigington to see them during
his sentencing. One man said
he was going to pull his mask
down so the former judge
could see his whole face.
The state called one wit
ness from the Blaine Ma
sonic Lodge where
Wigington served in leader
ship roles and stole $2,118.
Eddie Goodwin told the court
he became suspicious when
he filled in for Wigington as
treasurer one meeting and no
ticed a large payment to a
Chase credit card. Wigington
initially told him it was a
fraudulent payment and froze
the lodge’s account. When
Goodwin asked whose credit
card it was, Wigington told
him he couldn’t get details
from the bank because it was
an outside account.
“I’m not stupid,” Good
win testified. “I didn’t like
the answers I was told.”
Eventually, Goodwin
gained access to the checking
account and discovered it
was a card issued to Wiging
ton.
Goodwin described in
court an opportunity he gave
Wigington to come clean.
While their encounters were
typically relaxed, the witness
told the court when the two
met after the incident, “[Wig
ington] paced the office like
he was in the pits of Hell. I
knew it wasn’t a mistake.”
The amount Wigington
stole from the lodge was a
significant portion of their
total checking account bal
ance, which Goodwin said
goes to fund charity work in
the community. Both Good
win and the state discussed
the calculated lengths the for
mer judge went to cover his
tracks including a forged
Chase check that was so real
istic it took the bank a few
weeks to determine it was
fake. He also wrote three
checks from the magistrate
court to the lodge for very
specific amounts to make it
appear they were restitutions
for a fraud issue the non
profit had in 2011.
“We were in a moral
dilemma,” Goodwin said.
“We were in receipt of stolen
funds from our county.”
Investigations turned up
Google searches on Wiging-
ton’s computer asking how to
create fake checks and simi
lar queries.
When asked his thoughts
on sentencing, Goodwin told
the judge he should get the
maximum allowed.
The defense called four
witnesses who testified on
behalf of Wigington’s contri
butions to the community
during his more than two
decades in county govern
ment in various positions.
Jeanette Fleming, a retired
teacher and 4-H youth coun
selor, spoke about him as a
stand-out child in the pro
gram who displayed leader
ship qualities and propensity
for public safety, and that as
an adult he was a selfless
giver concerned with his
community. She said she was
stunned when she found out
about the charges, “as though
somebody hit me in the face
with a board...It was so not
Allen...I wanted to go to
[him] and shake his teeth
out.”
Instead of incarceration
she felt he should be able to
serve the county as he did for
so long for “full-frontal re
pentance,” which she be
lieved would be more
difficult than going to prison.
Retired Methodist
preacher Max Caylor was
also called as a defense wit
ness. He spoke about how
much respect he saw Wiging
ton gain in the community
over the years and discussed
his extensive volunteer work
with non-profits and the
church. The preacher said
Wigington was human like us
all, “and could and did do
against God...we do things
when we lose control.”
Caylor said he was “dis
appointed, hurt, but not
angry” when the crimes were
made public. Regarding pos
sible incarceration he said he
felt it wasn’t in the best inter
est of the community, and
that “it seems to me the em
barrassment and humiliation
has been a sentence it seems
has been served, and will be
served, forever.”
Bill Pickett, who has
worked in Pickens County as
an attorney for nearly 50
years, has known Wigington
since he was a child and said
he is “probably the most ded
icated person I’ve ever
worked with.” He called him
the “go-to-guy.” Pickett said
he felt “somewhat betrayed”
by Wigington’s crimes, but
that he considered him a
friend he would help to this
day.
“I don’t know how it hap
pened or why it happened,”
he said, “I know something
must be wrong because this
is not Allen.”
When asked about his
thoughts on sentencing, Pick
ett said, “incarceration is not
the thing for Allen.. .he’s al
ready lost his life,” and that
everything he’s ever worked
for had already been tom
down.
Gilmer attorney Michael
Parham, a public defender
who ran for chief magistrate
there last year, said Wiging
ton brought a high level of
professionalism to the circuit
that had not been seen in the
past. He said he believes
there has been repentance,
and that because of that Wig
ington would be a better
judge today than when he
was on the bench.
The defense told the court
that since day one Wigington
wanted to take responsibility
for his actions, and not waste
people’s time and county re
sources, opting to plead
guilty instead of going
through a “long drawn-out
trial.” They requested a pro
bationary sentence where he
could continue to serve the
public and be a productive
citizen. Incarceration would
not only be a cost to taxpay
ers, they said, but would rob
the community of him as a
valuable asset. His attorneys
noted he was also prepared to
pay restitution that day.
“He has paid a price none
of us can imagine,” said at
torney Jenny Smith referring
to the humiliation Wigington
and his family suffered over
the last year, and the trust he
lost with the public.
John Fowler, deputy attor
ney general, then gave a
PowerPoint presentation that
provided an overview of the
scope of Wigington’s theft.
Charges dated from October
2016 to January 20, 2020.
Wigington was arrested on
January 29, 2020, just nine
days after the last incident
which Fowler said indicates
he would not have stopped
stealing on his own accord.
Fowler noted that Wigington
committed what was equiva
lent to a felony a month for
four years. He highlighted
the hypocrisy of a sitting
judge issuing judgements
while he was committing
crimes himself.
The slide presentation in
cluded photographs of recov
ered items inside Wigington’s
house, including a television
he paid for with stolen
money and watched with his
family, in addition to a Face-
book photo of him wearing a
festive shirt he purchased
with stolen money. Fowler
Continued From 1A
Memorial
those who gave the ultimate
sacrifice in the defense of our
nation.
Pickens County has more
than its share of those who
fell on the battlefield with
well over 50 fallen heroes
from over a century of con
flicts from World War I to the
conflict in Iraq. Tribute was
paid to our community's
fallen heroes on Memorial
Day morning at Sunrise Me
morial Gardens in Jasper.
Dozens of local citizens
attended the ceremonies
which included the singing of
the national anthem, presen
tation of the colors, a 21 gun
salute, the reading of the roll
of the community's fallen he
roes, the placing of wreaths
in honor of all of the
branches of service, and the
playing of Taps.
The featured speaker was
retired Marine Corps Colonel
Robert Cagle, a native of
north Georgia, who spent 30
years in the Marines includ
ing service in Desert Storm,
Desert Shield, and Operation
Enduring Freedom. In his
comments, Cagle touched on
a familiar theme, that "Free
dom isn't free."
Noting that Memorial Day
has come to be known as the
unofficial beginning of sum
mer, Cagle said, that for
many Americans, the holiday
simply means a long week
end with barbeques, picnics,
baseball games, auto racing,
and other recreational activi
ties. However, he urged
Americans never to forget the
true meaning of Memorial
Day, a day dedicated to re
membering those who died
while fighting for our nation's
freedoms.
The Memorial Day cere
mony was sponsored by the
North Georgia Mountains
Detachment of the Marine
Corps League.
Community Bank supports
American Legion Post 149
Thomas Holman of Community Bank of ships, sponsor children's sports and support
Pickens County's Sammy McGhee Branch, Scout programs. Look for the patriotically
seen here with Jim Brescia, commander of decorated donation boxes when you shop in
American Legion Post 149 in Pickens local stores. Call 706-253-1715 or email to
County, accepts a donation box as part of alpostl49@gmail.com to enroll your busi-
Post 149's local merchants fund drive. The ness in the program.
funds raised in this program are all spent lo- Support the businesses that support our
cally to help veterans in need, offer scholar- local veterans.
clicked through slides of
Wigington’s expensive per
sonal vehicles, a house with
a pool, family vacations, lav
ish restaurant expenditures,
and other things that demon
strated the high-on-the-hog
lifestyle he was living while
stealing money from taxpay
ers. He called Wigington’s
actions “insulting.”
The presentation also re
vealed that the former judge
forged receipts for many of
the items he purchased ille
gally. To get past county pur
chasing approval, Wigington
would lie and invoice those
items as office supplies or
other items used inside the
courthouse. A shirt was in
voiced as a flag; a Nintendo
Switch gaming device as a
converter box and other
courtroom technology;
$50.99 bottles of probiotics
were invoiced as projector
bulbs. Fowler said witnesses
who testified for the defense
seemed like decent people,
but that they had only seen
one side of the former judge.
The state sought a 15-year
sentence to serve five, among
other conditions and re
quests. Fowler said as a
young man (Wigington is in
his mid 40s), he could serve
time in prison and then go on
to serve his community.
Dressed in a dark blue
suit, Wigington stood at the
podium flanked by his attor
neys and made a statement in
which he acknowledged his
guilt, apologized, and asked
for mercy from the court. He
opened by saying that “I’m
sorry” seemed like an under
statement, and discussed the
“depth of regret” he had for
his actions.
“I’m so very, very, very
sorry,” he said. “My actions
have caused great trouble for
family, friends, and this com
munity...! cannot apologize
enough. I’m sorry I let you
down.”
Wigington spoke about
the immense sense of loss
and isolation he has felt since
his crimes were made public,
about how ashamed he has
been, and about his sorrow
for the shame he has brought
on his family. His children
have been questioned by
friends at school, he said, and
his mother has cried herself
to sleep more nights than he
could count. He told the court
his children are being up
rooted and having to move
from their community, and
would have to leave friends
they grew up with. He called
it a “God-given miracle” that
his family has continued to
support him through every
thing and “given me much
more than I deserve.”
“They didn’t deserve
this,” he said. “I caused it by
my actions.. .1 take responsi
bility for this.. .for years peo
ple put trust in me. My
actions have given them great
reason to take away that
trust.”
He thanked friends who
called and texted over the last
year with support, and said
he has lost friends he consid
ered to be as close as family.
“Those hurt... One day I
hope to earn back those
friendships.”
Before charges were
brought against him a trip to
Kroger for milk would turn
into an hour-long endeavor
ending up in discussions with
people in the community, but
he told the court that in the
last year if he had to go to the
store he hoped he could “run
in and out without having to
speak to anyone.”
The night before sentenc
ing Wigington told the judge
he had a family dinner to dis
cuss the next day, and that he
wanted his children and fam
ily to know punishment for
his actions was what he de
served. His son asked him if
he would be okay with what
ever happens. Wiginton
teared up at this point and
said, “No, not really. I’m ter
rified,” and called fear a great
accelerator of faith.
He asked for mercy in
sentencing, and for the court
to allow him to be the person
he has been in the past and to
continue to serve the commu
nity.
Judge Colston said she
had thought about the case
for a long time, having been
involved since day one as all
local judges had recused
themselves. She cited a case
in her own Floyd County
where a magistrate judge was
involved in a financial
scheme that “didn’t touch”
county money, but that the
judge would probably not get
out of prison in this lifetime.
She told Wigington she felt
he wanted to “play the big
man” and get accolades, and
that he did so by violating
trust.
“I think it was all so you
could look big in peoples’
eyes, which is a shame,” she
said.
She also said when a
judge gets in trouble it re
flects poorly on all judges.
Responding to attorney ar
guments that she would be
taking a father away from his
family if he was incarcerated,
she said, “It’s not my job to
worry about them, it’s
yours,” and further that he
was responsible for messing
up his life, not her.
Before issuing her sen
tence, Judge Colston said she
did feel like she was being
merciful. She announced the
sentence and Wigington’s
face turned flush and his head
abruptly nodded down and
back up. He appeared to
briefly lose stability and had
to steady himself on the
podium, according to one
person in the courtroom
closer to him, who also said
his legs buckled.
Colston ordered Wiging
ton be taken into custody that
day, and when asked if his
wife could wait to pay the
$17,400 restitution because
the day was already trying
enough the judge sharply de
clined to allow a delay.
Wiginton was allowed to
say goodbye to family mem
bers in the courtroom, includ
ing wife Rosemary
Wigington, his mother and
mother in-law, before he was
taken into custody and es
corted out by bailiffs. He re
moved his jacket and tie,
which his wife took with her,
before being handcuffed.
Wigington was trans
ported to maximum security
Jackson State Prison/Geor
gia’s Diagnostic and Classifi
cation State Prison for the
admission process.
PICKENS COUNTY
RECYCLING CENTER
ACCEPTS TIIE FOLLOWING ITEMS
DC
DC
#1 Plastics
Water bottles,
drinking bottles,
soda bottles,
mayo jars,
peanut butter
jars. etc.
#2 Plastics
Milk jugs, washing/
detergent jugs,
bleach bottles,
etc.
Paper Products
Mixed paper,
junk mail,
newspapers,
etc.
DC
DC
Glass
Bottles Only:
Clear, brown,
green
No window PanelsI
or car
windshields
Steel Cans
&
Metal
Do Not Accept
Styrofoam, Plastic
furniture, water
hoses, all other
plastics not
mentioned, incl.
#3-7, Plastic
flowers, hard
or rigid Plastics.
Help us recycle the correct products.
Director Waste/Recycling, Kenny Woodard
^ 0 390 Appalachian Court. Jasper. GA
Old Newspapers
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at the Pickens
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