Newspaper Page Text
The
Commerce News
Page2A • MARCH 26,2008
Murder-Arson
Suspect Has
First Hearing
JEFFERSON - Henry Fee
Stringer — the Auburn man
accused of killing four people
and setting their Hoschton home
on fire in 2006 — spoke few words
during his first public court hear
ing Tuesday.
Stringer is facing the death pen
alty for allegedly killing his girl
friend, Marvelette Strickland, 29,
their children, J’Majuan Stringer,
4, and J’Fasia Stringer, 2, and
Marvelette’s mother, Evelyn
Strickland, 68. Their bodies
were found inside their burning
Pendergrass Road (Ga. Hwy. 332)
house in Jackson County May 30,
2006.
Stringer was arrested in Barrow
County a year after the murder-
arson. A Jackson County grand
jury indicted him in December
2007 on 16 counts related to the
case. Stringer has pled not guilty
to the charges.
For Tuesday’s brief hearing,
Stringer was brought into the
courtroom in an orange and white
prison jump suit. He spoke to
his attorneys before the proceed
ings started, and waved to several
loved ones in the courtroom at
the end of the hearing.
Tuesday’s hearing was the first
in what could potentially be many
court appearances before his
trial.
The first hearing was held in
accordance with the unified
appeal procedures that governs
pretrial and trial proceedings for
death penalty cases in Georgia,
according to district attorney
Rick Bridgeman.
Stringer’s court-appointed attor
neys are Christian G. Famar and
Joseph W. Vigneri, both of the
Office of the Georgia Capital
Defenders. The office serves as a
trial resource center for attorneys
handing death penalty cases in
the state.
During the hearing, Superior
Court Judge Joe Booth questioned
the qualifications of Famar and
Vigneri.
Famar, who will serve as lead
counsel for the Stringer case, said
he has been a defense attorney for
14 years. His experience includes
serving as lead counsel on 10-20
capital felony trials. Famar has
been a member of the State Bar
of Georgia since 1993.
Vigneri, who will serve as co
counsel, graduated from law
school in 1983 and later prac
ticed law in Illinois. He started
working with the Georgia Capital
Defenders in June 2007, where he
has worked on 130 criminal felo
ny trials, including 13 homicides
and one death penalty case.
Judge Booth set an arraignment
date for Stringer Thursday, April
17, at 1 p.m.
During the arraignment, the
formal charges against Stringer
will be presented, Famar said.
Following the arraignment, the
judge will determine the motions
filing schedule, he added.
Former Assistant
DA Pleads
To Misdemeanor
HOMER - The assistant district
attorney pulled into a scheme to
take money from Banks County
pled guilty Tuesday to misde
meanor charges of being party to
a crime.
Former ADA Brett Williams
was fined $500 and given 12
months probation and ordered
to complete 50 hours of commu
nity service on a misdemeanor
charge. The action stems from the
theft case made against former
Piedmont Judicial Circuit District
Attorney Tim Madison. Williams
was originally arrested on felony
charges of theft in connection
with the case against Madison.
On Tuesday, the felony charges
against Williams were dismissed.
Meanwhile, a hearing with
Madison’s wife, Finn Jones, on
related theft charges has been
rescheduled to April 18. Jones
Region Roundup
worked in the DA’s office as well
and faces charges related to hav
ing falsified payroll documents.
She was on both the Banks County
and Jackson County payrolls.
WILLIAMS
The scheme with Madison and
Williams involved having Banks
County pay a full-time salary for
Williams, who was already being
paid a full-time salary as ADA by the
state. The Banks County salary was
paid to Williams, who then passed
a portion of it on to Madison.
Madison put the money into a per
sonal checking account and used
it for a variety of things, including
purchasing a $7,000 motorcycle.
At Tuesday’s hearing, David
McLaughlin of the Georgia
Attorney General’s Office spoke
on Williams’ role in the case.
"If Mr. Williams didn't know a
deception was being perpetuated
on Banks County, he surely should
have known," he said.
Williams’ attorney, Nick Litito,
said his client was not working with
Madison to steal the funds.
"There was no conspiracy between
Brett and Madison," he said. “They
were not buddies ... Brett Williams
was deceived by Mr. Madison."
Williams is no longer working as
an attorney, but Litito said he hopes
his client can practice law again in
the future. This will be up to the
Georgia State Bar Association.
Williams also offered brief
remarks Tuesday and offered an
apology to Banks County, to the
district attorney's office and to his
family. He said he had learned a
"profound and unforgettable les
son.”
"I am sorry for enabling this
arrangement to occur by following
a directive by my head boss, the
district attorney,” he said. "... I will
never be involved in anything like
this again.”
During his sentencing, judge
Robert Mallis said Williams was a
victim.
"I am convinced that you were
not aware of what Mr. Madison
was doing when he set up this
arrangement with Banks County,"
the judge said. "I genuinely believe
that you genuinely believed him.
For a large extent, you were a vic
tim too. However, at some point,
you should have known. But I can
understand being in that position."
The theft scandal surrounding the
DA’s office was uncovered by The
Jackson Herald newspaper in early
2007. A series of investigative sto
ries were published in March 2007
questioning Madison’s handling
of DA funds and his role in the
Williams financial transactions.
Madison subsequently resigned
as DA.
5-Member Board
Legislation May
Be On Fall Ballot
HOMER - If approval is received
at the state level, Banks County
voters will have the opportunity
to change the form of county gov
ernment when they go to the polls
this November.
State senator Nancy Schaefer
is introducing legislation to the
Senate which would give Banks
County voters the choice of going
from a three-member board of
commissioners to a five-member
board. If approved in the Senate,
the bill would then need to be
approved by the House before
being placed on the ballot.
Once approved at the state level,
the binding referendum will be
on the November ballot, Banks
County chairman Gene Hart said
Monday. The BOC would not
have to approve it.
The proposal is for four com
missioners to be elected from dis
tricts but to be voted on at large
by all citizens of Banks County.
The chairman would be elected
at-large and also voted on by all
citizens.
Candidates seeking office from
one of the four districts must
live in the district they run for.
Candidates for the chairman’s
position can live anywhere in the
county.
The issue of possibly changing
from a three-member commission
to a five-member commission
has been discussed for almost
a year. First-term commissioner
Joe Barefoot has been pushing to
allow citizens the opportunity to
vote on the issue.
'Faery Fest' To
Be Held in
Comer May 3
The first-ever Faery Fest is set
for May 3 in downtown Comer.
The event is sponsored by
the City of Comer, The Comer
Downtown Development
Authority, Faeryland Emporium
and Blue Bell Gallery. Additional
sponsors are welcome to partici
pate.
“We are so excited and thrilled
to announce the arrival of Faery
Fest 2008: The Official Faery
Festival in the Southeast,” orga
nizers say. “This outdoor extrava
ganza is all set to fill the streets
of downtown Comer with fun,
flavors and delightful merriment
all fit for even the finest faery
kingdom.”
The event will run from 9 a.m
to 8 p.m.
The event’s official website
www.FaeryFest.org will soon be
available, while those interested
can check faerybright@yahoo.
com or call (706) 372-8726 for
more information.
The event will include outdoor
artists, vendors, crafts, activities,
live music, entertainment perfor
mances, food, beverages, an exot
ic petting zoo, an animal inter-
action-education station, bounc
ing and climbing play activities,
games and adventure centers.
Organizers ask those wanting
to participate in Faery Fest can
do so by either fill out and submit
vendor and applications, becom
ing a sponsor or simply helping
spread the word
New Mobile Homes
Must Be On
Solid Foundations
DANIELSVILLE - If you want to
put a new mobile home in Madison
County - or move an old one to a
new locale in the county — you'll
now have to pay for a permanent
foundation.
County commissioners unani
mously approved an amendment
to the county zoning ordinance
Monday that will require new
mobile homes to have concrete or
brick underpinnings at least four
inches in width. Mobile homes
already in the county won't be
affected unless they are moved to a
new location.
County planner Alec Young
said that the requirement will
help increase the life of the home,
improve its appearance and make
it more secure.
“I have driven around the coun
ty and from what I noticed those
mobile home with permanent foun
dations, they look better and they
are better maintained rather than
those vinyl underpinnings," said
Young. "If this doesn’t go through,
I don’t think I will be touching the
mobile home issue for quite a long
time.”
Chairman Wesley Nash asked
about the cost of the permanent
underpinnings and Young said
they will run approximately $3,000.
Planning commission chairman
Wayne Douglas said block under
pinnings can be purchased for
roughly $750.
Nash said the cost is too great of
a burden to place on young hom
eowners.
"Three thousand dollars is a lot
to ask from kids starting out who
are already strapped for cash,” said
Nash. "It seems like an awful bur
den.”
Commissioners noted that mort
gage companies typically require
permanent underpinnings.
Commissioner Bruce Scogin said
permanent underpinnings usually
run about $1,800 to $3,600.
"But I think it’s a good invest
ment," said Scogin.
Wreck Kills Two
Saturday Morning
In Morgan County
Two Madison County residents
died in a head-on collision in
Morgan County Saturday morning.
Ruby Brown, 72, and David
Kloes, 10, were killed after a 2004
Chevy Suburban, driven by Jacob
Steen, 26, Camden, SC, crossed
the centerline and struck their 1991
Mercury Grand Marquis. Another
passenger in the car, Robert Kloes,
6, was also injured in the accident,
according to a spokesperson with
the Madison post of the Georgia
State Patrol.
The accident happened around
8:30 a.m. Saturday .6 miles south of
Seven Islands Road on Hwy. 441
south of the city of Madison.
Misty Kirby, 30, Royston, the driv
er of the Grand Marquis suffered
visible injuries, the spokesperson
said. Steen was not injured in the
accident.
The wreck occurred when
Steen, who was traveling north
on Hwy. 441, crossed the center-
line and struck the southbound
vehicle head-on.
Charges are pending against
Steen.
'Folktales & Song'
To Be Presented
In Jefferson On Sat.
“Words and Music: Stories
through Folktales and Song" will
be presented by the Crawford W.
Long Museum March 29 at the
Jefferson clubhouse. Programs are
scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The afternoon program is suit
able for all ages, but is geared
toward families with children
under age 12. Featured artists
are storyteller Donna Butler of
Jackson County and Athens musi
cian Susan Staley.
Butler and the Solstice Sisters,
including Staley, Maggie Hunter
and Anna Durden, will perform at
the 7 p.m. show.
The artists will also speak about
their respective crafts, placing
them within an appropriate con
text in the cultural history of this
region.
The purpose of the program is to
showcase the arts of storytelling
and folk music as both entertain
ment and history lessons in the
small towns and rural areas of the
Georgia Piedmont.
V.
Congratulations To All Of The
Winners At Our Easter Celebration!
Winners of the “best decorated bicycle” at the
Community Bank & Trust Easter Parade Saturday
were, left to right, Jeffrey Straub, first; Bailey Jones,
second; and Elena Pierre, third.
Winners of the “best decorated battery-powered
car” in the Community Bank & Trust Easter
Parade Saturday were, left to right, Landry
Kate Martin, first; Austin Phillips, second; and
Eve Fischer /Ensley Evans, third.
Winners of the “best decorated wagon” in the Community
Bank & Trust Easter Parade Saturday were, left to right,
Maren Henson, first; Channing Martin, second; and Laken
Redmond / Chloe & Cylene Whitfield, third.
Thanhs to the Commerce Main Street Office, The Commerce
Area Business Association, businesses which provided prizes
and the Commerce Police Department for making this
another successful Easter event!
Community Bank & Trust
Member FDIC