Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, April 27, 2022 — Page 7
I^FOR THE RECORD
Sheriff issues two press releases
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
announced April 25 that in
May of this year, six current
Sheriff’s Office employees will
receive degrees from various
colleges. Scholastic Opportu
nities for Aspiring Resident
Scholars (SOARS) began in
May 2019 and since its incep
tion, 18 employees of the sher
iff’s office have earned higher
education degrees and others
are currently enrolled. Since
taking office in 2017, Williams
has stressed the importance of
higher education and the six
graduating employees join
18 others who have achieved
college degrees while serving
under Williams.
Additionally, Williams is
sued a press release April 25
that he has hied a brief in the
Georgia Court of Appeals re
garding the Mandamus Action
originally hied in November
2021, seeking a declaratory
judgment and an order direct
ing the Burke County Board
of Commissioners to turn over
control of payroll administra
tion.
“The Burke County Superior
Court denied both petitions
for mandamus and entered a
declaratory judgment on Janu
ary 25,2022,” the press release
states. “We believe The Superi
or Court committed reversible
error by denying our petition
and declaring that it is “within
the Board of Commissioners’
sound discretion to continue
administering payroll for” the
Sheriff’s employees.”
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency re
sponded to 99 patients’ calls during the week ending April
17. Of those, 78 resulted in transports including 53 to Augusta
hospitals and one to another out-of-county hospital. Forty
three of the transports were determined to be emergencies
and 35 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 19 hre calls during the week.
They included two controlled burns, one structure hre, one
false alarm, one outside waste/trash or dumpster hre, four
rescues, three woods hres, one vehicle hre, hve public service
calls and one unspecihed call.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS APRIL 11-17
Alfonzo Parnell
Davis, 32
Scott Store Rd., Mitten
BCSO, April 23
Simple battery - fam
ily violence
Lakenna Shandrel
Freeman, 38
Ciaxton-Liveiy Rd.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, April 23
Simple battery -
family violence
Ashley Nicole
Haynes, 33
£ Ninth St., Waynes
boro
WPD, April 19
Disorderly conduct-
city ordinance;
"Housing for WPD**
Travis Dlquaun
Griffin, 27
Davis Rd., Waynes
boro
WPD, April 19
Simple battery -
family violence;
kidnapping - family
violence
Freddie Lee
Jones, 32
Webster Rd., Au
gusta
BCSO, April 19
Probation violation
- felony (posses
sion of firearm by a
convicted felon)
Joseph Lee
Morris, 45
Corley Road, Hep-
hzibah
BCSO, April 23
Criminal damage to
property-2nd degree
Roy Justin
Chandler, 43
Armstrong Dr. Thom
son
BCSO, April 19
Aggravated stalking;
bench warrant - mag
istrate court
Karim Rashard
Fields, 42
Barnhart Dr.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, April 18
Failure to appear -
misdemeanor (four
counts); speeding
70/55 mph zone; driv
ing while license sus
pended or revoked-
misdemeanor
Deshandra Patrice
Parks, 39
Creek Court, Hep-
hzibah
BCSO, April 23
Safekeeping for
Columbia County
SO; (theft by taking-
misdemeanor)
Dylan Lee
Dixon, 27
Scenie Ct., North
Augusta, S.C.
BCSO, April 18
DUl-driving under
the influence (alco
hol); impeding the
free flow of traffic;
improper stopping on
roadway
India De’autia
Jefferson, 20
W 8th St., Waynes
boro
WPD, April 24
Failure to appear-
municipal (property
damage or destruc
tion, trespassing)
housing for WPD
Keleon Dequan
Burdette, 33
Hancock Landing
Rd., Waynesboro
BCSO, April 19
Probation violation
- felony (involuntary
manslaughter, pos
session of firearm
during commission
of a crime)
Michael Anthony
Lewis, 34
Gordon Pd., Sardis
SPD, April 23
Driving under the
influence of alcohol;
marijuana -pos
session of less than
one ounce; open
container of alcohol
in motor vehicle
Jacquelyn Danielle
Archie, 36
Marks-Walden Pd.,
Blythe
BCSO, April 21
Simple battery -
family violence; safe
keeping for Rogers
County, Oklahoma
SO; FTA - cruelty
toward child.
Shatyla Marie
Ripley, 25
Pine Trails Apts.,
Waynesboro
WPD, April 24
Probation violation
- Municipal; "house
for WPD" (three
counts)
Utray Antwan
Coffie, 40
Pecan Grove Dr.,
Waynesboro
SPD, April 23
Failure to maintain
lane; driving under
the influence of
alcohol-concentration
is 0.08g or more
within 3 hours or
more; driving wh ile
license suspended
or revoked - misde
meanor
Dereck Lewis
Stavely, 49
Kilpatrick St., Midviiie
BCSO, April 18
Failure to appear-
felony
TamiaVonne
Cooper, 23
Davis Pd.,
Waynesboro
WPD, April 22
False statements
or writings; conceal
facts or fraudulent
documents in mat
ters of government;
simple battery - fam
ily violence
Jason Lee Shelby, 27
Bradley Dr., Waynesboro
BCSO, April 18
Disorderly conduct; probation violation for
fingerpritnabte charge-misdemeanor
Rashad Ahmad White, 36
Oakview Place, Hephzibah
BCSO, April 23
Driving while license suspended or revoked-
misdemeanor; light reducing material affixed
to windows; failure to appear-misdemeanor;
safekeeping for Richmond County SO; violation
of court order (DUI, suspended license, etc.)
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
Tell it to the judges
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Judges are sentencing people
who violate driving and other
minor laws to probation, cre
ating a system that collects
money and supervises people
who are not necessarily a threat
to society.
Mike Popplewell is the own
er of CSRA Probation, the firm
contracted with Burke County
and all of its cities to supervise
citizens sentenced to proba
tion for misdemeanor crimes,
including driving-related of
fenses.
“There are only a few of
fenses in Georgia that can be
considered less than a mis
demeanor,” he said. “Good
examples would be a seat belt
violation or hrst offense under
age consumption or possession
of alcohol.”
Markiva is a Waynesboro
resident whose sentence for
an invalid vehicle registra
tion included 12 months of
probation. She doesn’t fully
understand why she received
such a harsh sentence for such
a minor crime.
However, Georgia code spe
cifically states that operating a
vehicle without a valid registra
tion is a misdemeanor offense.
She was convicted after she
called the police upon hitting a
deer. She didn’t even own the
vehicle by the time she went to
court. It was totaled in the ac
cident that happened the same
month as her birthday. She lives
in low-income housing and the
fines she has to pay put such a
financial burden on her, she is
donating plasma just to make
ends meet. A customer service
job ended and she is seeking
other employment. The first
month of probation she paid
$137. Next month, she has to
pay $127. The total she owes
in fines and probation fees is
$1,298, she said. The vehicle
Arrested
contact Griffin. Due to infor
mation provided by Cooper and
other witnesses, child abduc
tion protocol was immediately
administered.
Additional law enforcement
agencies/partners and resourc
es were notified and utilized to
help in these efforts.
The infant was reunited with
family members and brought
to the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office. WPD investigators
and EMA personnel arrived
to meet with family members
and verify the welfare of the
infant child.
According to an April 22
press release, an interview with
Griffin revealed a completely
different account of events.
“As with any case investiga
tors seek to find the truth, and
was properly insured.
“In Georgia any crime that is
punishable by possible jail
time can be put on probation,”
Popplewell said. “I have had
people on probation for speed
ing.”
Cases that go through Mag
istrate Court or a city’s Mu
nicipal Court don’t necessarily
go against a person’s record,
however, the offender might
still end up on probation. Pop
plewell gave the example of a
company illegally placing their
garbage in a Burke County
dumpster.
The fines that are paid by the
people put on probation go di
rectly to the government entity
that imposed the sentencing.
Most of the probation fee goes
directly to CSRA Probation.
The standard probation fee is
$59 per month. The counties
and cities who contract with the
probation company do not pay
them for their services.
“As a private probation
agency, we are also state regu
lated,” Popplewell said. “The
State requires that for every
fee that is assessed, there is a
$9 Georgia Crime Victim Fee
is assessed.”
CSRA Probation also offers
jail release supervision, bond
supervision and drug testing
for a fee as well. Drug testing
costs the person on probation
an extra $20 per test.
Popplewell did not deny that
overwhelmingly it is low-in-
come people who get convicted
and put on probation. It’s not
uncommon for people who live
in income-based housing, to
seek better paying jobs in order
to pay their probation, which
in turn causes their rent to in
crease. When it comes to what
a judge orders, the company’s
hands are tied, Popplewell said.
However, he said
SEE
his probation of
ficers try to work JUDGES,
with people who 8
Continued from front
in this case, it was determined
that some of the original in
formation provided to inves
tigators was found not true,”
the press release states. “As
a result, WPD investigators
have elected to dismiss the
charge of kidnapping against
Mr. Griffin.”
Officers took Cooper into
custody and charged her with
making a false statement and
simple battery - family vio
lence. Griffin was also charged
with simple battery - family
violence.
“It is very important to the
Waynesboro Police Depart
ment to find the truth in all
investigations conducted and
to ensure the truth is reflected
accurately and transparently,”
the press release states.
CASH!!!
Junk Cars
We pick up TODAY!
CALL 803-300-1234