Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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