Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, March 10, 2021 — Page 7 A
^FOR THE RECORD
Jury trials to resume
DAVE WILLIAMS
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia Chief Justice Har
old Melton Tuesday lifted a
suspension of jury trials in
Georgia he had imposed for a
second time in December.
Melton’s statewide judicial
emergency order, the 12th he
has issued since the coronavi-
rus pandemic struck Georgia
last March, will allow jury
trials to resume immediately
if it can be done safely and
according to a plan developed
with input from local judicial
officials.
The state’s courts have re
mained open since Melton
issued his initial order a year
ago, but jury trials were sus
pended due to the number of
people required to be present
at courthouses.
Melton first lifted the sus
pension of jury trials last Oc
tober but prohibited them again
in December following a spike
in COVID-19 cases. Tuesday’s
order noted that cases of the
virus once again have subsided.
Jury trials are “fundamental
to the American justice sys
tem,” Melton declared in a
public service announcement
due to air soon in which he
appeals directly to Georgia
citizens.
“You and every citizen are
critical to this process because
we cannot conduct a trial by
jury without jurors, without
you,” he said. “We have put
into place the most rigorous
safety protocols available.”
Safety precautions that will
accompany jury trials include
temperature checks, masks,
plexiglas barriers, touch-free
evidence technology, constant
surface cleaning and the recon
figuration of courtrooms and
jury spaces to ensure social
distancing.
As with previous judicial
emergency orders, Melton
urged all courts to use technol
ogy to conduct remote judicial
proceedings where practicable
and lawful as a safer alternative
to in-person proceedings.
The new order is set to expire
April 8.
Melton is expected to ad
dress the judicial system’s
handling of the coronavirus
pandemic in detail when he
delivers his final State of the
Judiciary address to a joint ses
sion of the General Assembly
March 16. The chief justice
announced last month he is
leaving the court on July 1.
Editor’s note: Burke County
Superior Court Clerk Radeta
Green Smith said Tuesday that
jury trials here are scheduled
to resume in April.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS MAR. 1-7
Savannah Michelle
Bogdan, 22
Georgia Ave,
Statesboro
BCSO, Mar. 4
Accountability court
sanctions
Antoine Maurice
Smith, 46
Fahm St., Savannah
WPD, Mar. 4
Public drunk-city
ordinance housing
for WPD
La’Asian Porshia
Huff, 29
Spruce St., Augusta
BCSO, Mar. 2
Cruelty to children in
the 1st degree
Alesha Sharice
Hunter, 29
Grubbs St.,
Waynesboro
WPD. Mar. 3
Safekeeping for
Spalding County SO
Alexander Luis
Mendez, 36
GA. Hwy23 South,
Waynesboro
WPD Mar. 6
Aggravated assault
Joseph Michael
Powell, 21
Colony Court,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Mar.2
Safekeeping for U. S.
Marshals Service;
weapon offense
Roger Ramos, 55
Zinquez Xavier
Jamie Lee
Neikedra Kalondria
Keyonce Zakhia
EricTyrece
Holly Drive,
Wimberly, 26
Bendenbough, 35
Williams, 21
Walker, 17
Douglas, 32
Waynesboro
Mike Padgett Hwy,
Hephzibah-
Woodland Terrance,
Melody Dr.,
Myrick St.,
WPD, Mar 7
Augusta
Keysvi/le Road,
Waynesboro
Augusta
Waynesboro
Driving without a
BCSO, Mar. 3
Hephzibah
WPD, Mar 1
WPD Mar 4
WPD, Mar. 5
valid license-mis
State Court misde
GSP-Syl., Mar 6
False statements
Disorderly conduct-
Robbery by intimi
demeanor; failure
meanor sentence
Safekeeping;
or writings; conceal
city ordinance;
dation; burglary in
to stop at stop/yield
sign; DU/-driving
under the influence
(alcohol)
(theft by taking)
*hoid for Columbia
County
facts or fraudulent
documents of gov
ernment
*housing for WPD;
aggravated assault
the 1st degree;
safekeeping for Ga.
DCS Office (Au
gusta); probation
violation.
Alantonio Terrill
Brinson, 44
Roberts St.,
Sy/vania
GSP-Syl., Mar. 6
Speeding 76/55
mph zone; License:
driving without a
license on person;
driving under the
influence of alcohol-
concentration is
0.08 g or more with
3 hours or more
Dwayne Alan
Whitaker, 30
Pinetop Road,
Hephzibah
BCSO, Mar. 7
Battery-family vio
lence (1st offense)-
misdemeanor;
cruelty to children
in 3rd degree-family
violence (2 counts)
Michael
Whitfield, 55
Homeless, Augusta
BCSO, Mar. 1
Possession of
a firearm by a
convicted felon; theft
by shoplifting-mis
demeanor; pointing
or aiming gun or
pistol at another;
safekeeping for
Richmond County
SO; Probation viola
tion (possession of
firearm by convicted
felon)
AGENCIES
BCSO: Burke County Sheriff’s Office;
WPD: Waynesboro Police Department;
GSP: Georgia State Patrol;
MPD: Midville Police Department;
SPD: Sardis Police Department;
DOC: Department of Corrections
DNR: Department of Natural Resources
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT
UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency re
sponded to 93 patients’ calls during the week ending March
7. Of those, 63 resulted in transports, including 36 to Augusta
hospitals. Thirty four of the transports were determined to be
emergencies and 29 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 17 fire calls during the week.
They included four authorized controlled burn, four brush/
grass fires, three rescues, two structure fires, three woods fires
and one unspecified call.
Burke County man
admits operating
illegal pill factory
A Midville man has admitted
taking part in an operation that
distributed methamphetamine
after investigators discovered
the scheme through delivery of
a commercial pill press.
Telly Savalas Carswell, 47,
pled guilty in U.S. District
Court to conspiracy to possess
with intent to distribute and to
distribute Methamphetamine,
said David H. Estes, Acting
U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of Georgia. The charge
carries a possible penalty of up
to 20 years in federal prison,
followed by up to three years
of supervised release.
There is no parole in the
federal system.
“Our law enforcement part
ners , particularly the investiga
tors from the Drug Enforce
ment administration, did an
outstanding job in discovering
and shutting down this meth-
trafficking operation,” said
Acting U.S. Attorney Estes.
“Whether it’s in the larger
cities or smaller towns of the
Southern District, we are deter
mined to eradicate this poison
from our communities.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) began
the investigation in January
2020 while investigating the
delivery of a commercial pill
press to the home Savalas
shared with a co-defendant.
In conjunction with the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office,
DEA agents conducted a search
on May 7, 2020 of the resi
dence and found a pill press,
along with methamphetamine,
heroin and other drugs; nearly
$9,000 in cash; and parapher
nalia related to drug trafficking.
“Criminals like Mr. Car-
swell rely on pill presses to
create dangerous counterfeit
medications which contain
toxic substances such as meth
amphetamine, as was the case
in this investigation,” said the
Special Agent in Charge of the
DEA Atlanta Field Division
Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and
its law enforcement partners
are committed to keeping our
neighborhoods safe from dan
gerous drugs.”
The case is being inves
tigated by the DEA and the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office,
and prosecuted for the United
States by Assistant U.S. Attor
ney Matthew Josephson.
CASH!!!
For Junk Cars
We pick up TODAY!
CALL 803-300-1234
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
Employment Opportunity
Applications are being accepted for
the following position through
March 24, 2021
Certified Deputy Sheriff(s) Patrol Division
$37,700-$41,700
Certified Deputy Sheriff Transportation Division
$37,700-$41,700
If this position becomes permanent, the Burke County Sheriff's Office
offers a competitive salary package based upon experience, training,
education as well as applicable benefits below:
• Take Home Car • Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Paid Training • Agency-provided Uniforms & Equipment
• Family Y Membership Program • Paid Holidays, Vacation &
Sick Leave • Retirement and 457 Plans • Overtime Details
• Twelve (12) hour shifts with every other weekend off
Applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma or
equivalent. Successful candidates will be required to undergo
drug testing and a criminal background check. A completed
application must be submitted for consideration. Application
can be found online at http://www.burkecountysheriff.com or
picked up at the Burke County Sheriffs Office | 225 GA Highway
24 South Waynesboro, Georgia 30830.
A valid driver’s license and social security card
are required to apply.
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
225 GA Highway 24 South
Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
Phone: (706) 706-554-2133
Online: www.burkecountysheriff.com
Any applications received by mail will need to be mailed to Burke County
Sheriff’s Office P.O. Box 702 Waynesboro, Georgia 30830. All mailed
applications must also contain a valid copy of the applicant’s driver's
license, resume’, and social security card. Applicants that are requesting
reasonable accommodations should contact Brenda Johnson, Human
Resource Generalist at (706) 554-2133. Applicants with special needs
relating to disability access may use the Georgia Relay Service for the
hearing impaired at 1-800-255-0056 or you can contact Brenda Johnson,
Human Resource Generalist at (706) 554-2133.
Equal Opportunity Employer