Newspaper Page Text
Motions seek dismissal of charges, suppression
of evidence in case of local puppy mill operation
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
CALDWELL
Attorney Johnnie Caldwell
filed multiple motions last
week in defense of alleged
puppy mill opera
tor Latitia Adelle
Matthews. Mat
thews, along with
her husband John
David Matthews,
was arrested
March 13, 2019
after a raid at their Sweet Basil
Kennels on Johnstonville Road.
Each faces six counts of ag
gravated cruelty to animals, 23
counts cruelty to animals and
one count of unlawful disposal
of a dead animal resulting from
the raid. They were arrested
again June 5, 2019 on charges
of income tax evasion.
Late on Feb. 25, Caldwell
filed a motion to suppress
evidence from the
raid, arguing deputies
and others arriving
at the property had
no warrants and Mrs.
Matthews asked them
to leave.
He also filed a
motion to quash
the charges against
Matthews, arguing
multiple errors in
the listing of dogs by
the prosecution and
their alleged injuries.
He cites the misiden-
tification of dogs
and multiple injuries
attributed wrongly to the same
dog.
The list was provided under
court order by Jessica Rock
who, at the time of the raid,
was a staff attorney for the
Atlanta Humane Society She
was subsequently chosen as
special
prosecu
tor for the
puppy mill
case and
is now an
assistant
district at
torney in the Towaliga
circuit which includes
Lamar County
The motion to quash
also claims Katelyn
Raybon, then a member
of the Towaliga circuit
district attorney’s office
staff, acquired three
dogs, keeping one and
providing others to Lamar
deputies Chris Webster and
Shannon Williamson. Those
dogs and the names of their
new owners were never listed
by the prosecution, Caldwell
claims.
The defense goes on to
“The hu
mane society
sent those dogs
to the pound.
Ms. Raybon
went and got
them. We have
animal-loving
deputies and
two of them
adopted dogs
to save them
from possible
euthanization.
Sheriff Brad
White
WHITE
claim the
deputies pos
sibly violated
their oaths
of office in
accepting
the dogs and
both the DA’s
office and the
LCSO acted
in bad faith.
Sheriff
Brad White
was quick to
defend his
deputies.
“The humane
society sent those dogs to the
pound. Ms. Raybon went and
got them. We have animal-lov
ing deputies and two of them
adopted dogs to save them
from possible euthanization,”
the sheriff said.
In a motion to dismiss all
charges against Latitia Mat
thews, Caldwell argues Rock
cannot prosecute the case in
that she participated in it ear
lier as a representative of the
Atlanta Humane Society.
Noting he was
limited in what he
could say publicly,
district attorney
Jonathan Adams
responded, “We
have received cop-
ADAMS j es 0 f fh e motions
filed by the defense attorney
and look forward to arguing
the merits in court. We are
proud of local law enforce
ment’s efforts to ensure the
safety of animals in our com
munity and will continue to
work hand-in-hand with them.”
Katelyn Raybon, cited
prominently in the motions,
now works in Caldwell’s law
firm, sheriff White confirmed.
“We are
proud of local
law enforce
ment’s efforts
to ensure
the safety of
animals in our
community and
will continue
to work hand-
in-hand with
them. ” District
Attorney
Jonathan
Adams
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
VOTE
Early
voting
continues
Early voting began
last week in the March 16
special election. On the
ballot are the ESPLOST
referendum and the vote
to choose a successor
to late chief magistrate
judge Karen Rhyne Hen
son.
The candidates in the
magistrate race are Ar
thur English, Paul Kunst,
Jeff Mason and Shannon
Williamson.
Advance ballots may
be cast daily at the elec
tions office in the court
house annex through
March 12. Hours are Mon
day - Friday, 8 a.m. -12:30
p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
As of press time Mon
day, elections superinten
dent Anita Reid and her
staff had served 333 early
voters and mailed out 34
absentee ballots of which
8 had been returned.
“Requests must be
made for absentee ballots
as this is a new election
cycle.” Reid said.
Subscribe. Your name goes
on the label in this box
Jerry Odell Spires appeared before Judge Kathy Martin Feb. 26 on a charge of concealing a death. He has been
released on a $20,000 bond.
Date rape drug possibly involved in death
of woman left overnight in pickup truck
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The date rape drug GHB
may have been involved in the
death of 35-year-old Meagan
Nichole McNair who died after
being left in the cab of a pickup
truck for an extended period
by a man, originally described
as her boyfriend, who has now
been arrested.
Jerry Odell Spires, 53, was
arrested Feb. 26 on one count
of concealing the death of
another. At a first appearance
hearing later that day, Spires’s
bond was set by Judge Kathy
Martin at $20,000. He made
bond later that day and was
released.
Spires drove McNair to
Upson Regional Medical
Center Feb. 12 where she was
pronounced dead. He told
investigators he and McNair
arrived at his home at 246
Old Alabama Road in Milner
Feb. 11 and she was asleep
in the truck. He said he put a
blanket over her and left her
in the truck overnight. He said
he checked on McNair before
leaving for work on Feb. 12 and
she was still asleep so he left
her there. When he returned
home and she was still in the
SEE WOMAN LEFT OVERNIGHT 2A
JQC weighs in
then weighs out
on English’s run
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The director of the Georgia
Judicial Qualifications Commis
sion (JQC) got involved in the
race for Lamar County’s vacant
chief magistrate post last week,
issuing an opinion and then
seemingly backtracking on it in
a flurry of legalese.
Early on Feb. 23, JQC direc
tor Charles R Boring opined
Arthur (Brutz) English was
not qualified to be seated as
magistrate should he prevail in
the election. It was not imme
diately apparent who sought
Boring’s opinion.
English quickly fired back
with a response, citing case
law.
Boring seemed to back down
in a lengthy and somewhat
ambiguous response. Not de
terred, English vowed to stay in
the race.
The JQC does not govern
elections but, in theory, could
challenge English taking the
judgeship if he were to win.
The other candidates in the
race are Paul Kunst, Jeff Mason
and Shannon Williamson.
Editor's note: The rulings are published in full
at barnesville.com.
Drug bust
here nets
nine arrests
A strike team from the
Lamar County Sheriff’s Office
executed search
warrants early Feb.
25 at the residence
of Willie Floyd Per
due at 227 Warner
Road, a known drug
house. Nine people
were arrested and
quantities of drugs
seized. Sheriff Brad
White said the Per
due residence was
a ‘nuisance’. “We’ve
been out there a
bunch of times.
We’ve had all kinds
of different calls out
there. One time a
neighbor woke up
and a meth head
was eating a sand
wich in her house,”
the sheriff reported.
Perdue, 51, was
charged with sale
of meth, party to a
crime and disorderly
house. The others
arrested were: Sierra Collins,
25, possession of marijuana
and possession of drug related
objects. Perry Hubbard, 41,
possession of meth, possession
of a firearm during the commis
sion of a felony and possession
SEE DRUG BUST 5A
A
CHAMBLISS
MCDANIEL
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS