Friday, Mar. 25, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Attorney cited in Open Records violationBy BEN NELMS A misdemeanor charge relating to a violation of the Georgia Open Records Law was issued earlier this week for Fayetteville attorney E. Allison Ivey Cox. At issue was the request of information by attorney Eldridge Suggs IV relating documentation relevant to a lawsuit filed against the City of Union City by city resident Shakita Perdue over her alleged mistreatment while in custody last July at South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail in Union City. Cox is an attorney with Fayettevilles McNally Fox & Grant law firm. The firm represents both the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail, the City of Union City, as well as Fayette County. The misdemeanor charge, a violation of state law 50-18-74, involves the unlawful refusal to provide access to public records. The warrant was granted by Fulton County Magistrate Judge Franklin Biggins on March 17, according to officials at the criminal warrants division of Fulton County Magistrate Court. In response to the charge, Cox said Tuesday that the city (Union City) has followed the law in responding to every request Mr. Suggs has made. Suggs said he requested that Cox provide him with a copy of the internal investigation conducted by jail personnel relating to the incident July 31, 2004 when Perdue was strapped naked to a restraint chair for several hours in plain view of male inmates and jail personnel. Coxs failure to comply impeded his ability to inspect the document until after the time frame specified by the law had expired, Suggs said. The Georgia Open Records Law states that an individual is entitled to a response to public records within three business days from the time of the request. The agency must produce the records within three days or state in writing what records it has and when it will do so or the exceptions upon which is relies to deny access to the records. For Suggs, that less than timely response compelled him to take action on behalf of his client, a woman, he said, that had already suffered enough while in custody at the jail. They had already done something horrendous and atrocious to Ms. Perdue and they followed it up by flatly violating the spirit of the law when it comes to Ms. Perdue and her attempt to capture the public information that documents their horrendous and atrocious actions toward her, Suggs said Monday. Were here to say that Ms. Perdue is not going to be violated anymore. |
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