Sheriff unhappy with Solicitor's decision

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

All Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager wants to do is his job, he said.

Lately, though, Yeager says he is having trouble getting some of his cases prosecuted by solicitor Robert Stokely.

Yeager told the Coweta County commissioners Tuesday that his office and the Georgia Department of Revenue did a sting operation in May against some retail establishments that had been accused of selling alcohol to underage patrons.

Yeager said four people were arrested in the county and two in Newnan for selling alcohol to minors.

Later in the summer, Yeager learned Stokely decided not to pursue the cases.

"He [Stokely] told me it was his job to look at the law and he saw nothing in these cases that would warrant doing anything further," Yeager said.

After learning the cases were closed, Yeager talked to state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, who said it looked like the cases were fairly strong.

The sheriff said the evidence was videotapes of the undercover and underage agents going into a store, pulling an alcoholic beverage out of the cooler and paying for it.

"The only thing that was said between the cashier and the agent was the price," he said.

The sheriff said he was bringing the information to the commission's attention, because he had heard complaints in the community about the cases not being prosecuted.
Several of the commissioners bristled after the sheriff's presentation.

"It's a waste of taxpayers' money. We can't have a solicitor arbitrarily selecting the cases," said Commissioner Lawrence Nelms.

Yeager said he just wanted the board to know that he was doing his job.

"To me it was a clear violation," he said.