After reading all the comments, I feel like the whole scope of things have been lost from one simple word..( HATE )! True, this was a treable thing that happened and it WILL and HAS changed lives forever! I had grown to know Lenny through such a tragedy of my son that worked with Lenny. Through all the hard times that Dustin went through, Lenny never gave up on him. After Dustin's death, Lenny would come over to my house and we would sit in the driveway and talk and cry. He helped me out alot through my pain and it would be SO NICE if prople would come together and do the same. Was the sentence fair? Who knows.....this is just a short time we live here on earth, ALL things will be decided at a later time.
Bottom line, I think Lenny and John would want all this fussing to STOP and for everyone to make peace with themselves and others.
It's not right and it does injustice to both men!

After reading all the comments, I feel like the whole scope of things have been lost from one simple word..( HATE )! True, this was a treable thing that happened and it WILL and HAS changed lives forever! I had grown to know Lenny through such a tragedy of my son that worked with Lenny. Through all the hard times that Dustin went through, Lenny never gave up on him. After Dustin's death, Lenny would come over to my house and we would sit in the driveway and talk and cry. He helped me out alot through my pain and it would be SO NICE if prople would come together and do the same. Was the sentence fair? Who knows.....this is just a short time we live here on earth, ALL things will be decided at a later time.
Bottom line, I think Lenny and John would want all this fussing to STOP and for everyone to make peace with themselves and others.
It's not right and it does injustice to both men!

As I sat with many, many people who came for the sentencing of Melissa Painter, most in hopes of Justice, I started observing the first 3 rows of family and friends of Ms. Painter. They all sat, very quietly, never looking around, never showing any type of reactions of any sorts. There was one exchange of "rolling of eyes" between a man and woman when a family member began speaking. Other than that, nothing. It really became surreal. I began to ask myself "why", they are hearing and seeing pictures, a video and heart felt testimonies from families who are hurting over these loved ones whom she killed. Not one tear from these people, not one twitch of a shoulder, nothing but stillness. Oh, Melissa put on a crying show sometime into this, but it didn't last very long. She had her wonderful attorney (gag) read her letter, which she stated she thinks about this accident every night. Her wonderful attorney (gag again) also stated to the court that it was under his instruction for Melissa not to apologize to these families in any way. Unfortunately, she didn't listen to that part really well and served 10 days in jail for it. Back to my point about friends and family. It seemed to me that they must have really been instructed really well. I can hear it now...Don't worry about this, get through it, she won't go to jail. Just let the families vent, Melissa show some "Drama" you all be diligent and not show any emotion or remorse or concern. It's going to be alright. We have struck the deal and Judge Sams will be okay with all this, it's a done deal. It's just gonna be an emotional day but it will be over with soon. And you all can go home as a family.

The concern here is that 1. the stomach relaxer may have interfered with her 3 anti-depressants which caused bad judgment and caused two deaths 2. She has 3 children, perhaps next victims of her irresponsible past bad behavior and bad judgment 3. 5 years of no driving - hmmm how many people really follow that at 26 years old and 3 small children in her care? And, not to mention Fayette residents now in jeopardy 4. was this deal a "good 'ole boy" deal between attorney and Solicitor?

My question right now is when is Fletcher Sams term up? When is State Court Solicitor Jamie Inagawa's term up? Can anyone tell me? This was not Justice. Melissa Painter new it and so did her family and friends.

Unfortunately this was an accident. It could have been any of us, making a TRAGIC mistake of turning in front of someone. I sure there was no intent to harm/kill, but the outcome was very tragic.

Godspeed to the victims and their families.

WHERE IS THE JUSTICE FOR A DESERVED IMPACT VICTIM
I ATTENDED THE SENTENCING HEARING TODAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008, IN THE STATE COURT OF FAYETTE COUNTY, OF MELISSA PAINTER WHOM TRAGICALLY TOOK THE LIVES OF TWO FINE FAYETTE COUNTY GENTLEMEN AND PUBLIC SERVANTS, LENNIE "THE LOCKSMITH DUNN" AND JOHN MINABERRY WHILE HAVING THREE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS IN HER SYSTEM.MRS. PAINTER WAS ONLY GIVEN TWO YERAS PROBATION FOR HER ACTIONS OF TAKING AWAY TWO GOOD LIVES.

MANY PEOPLE CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT THE TRAGEIC LOSS OF BOTH OF THESE FINE MEN'S LIVES AND THERE CONTIRBUTION TO THE FAYETTE COUNTY COMMUNITY.THE COURTROOM WAS FULL. THERE WERE FORMER FAMILY MEMBER'S FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE VICTIM'S FAMILIES, AS WELL AS THEIR FRIENDS THAT WERE ALLOWED TO GIVE THEIR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS OF THIS TRAGIC LOSS BUT NOT MS. DUNN, LENNIE'S FORMER WIFE.

ONE THAT ALSO DESERVED CLOSURE WAS DENIED HER RIGHT TO SPEAK BECAUSE OF THE OBJECTION OF MRS.PAINTER'S ATTORNEY, STEVE HARRIS, WHOM NOW I REGRET I SUPPORTED DURING HIS CAMPAIGN WHEN HE RAN FOR SOLICITOR GENERAL.

WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE LENNIE'S FORMER WIFE, BARBIE DUNN, STATEMENT BE READ BY HER AS OTHERS WERE ALLOWED TO, I WAS DENIED DUE TO MR. HARRIS'S OBJECTION TO THE COURT OF MS. DUNN GIVING HER STATEMENT.

STEVE, I ASK YOU, DO YOU NOT THINK MS. DUNN DESERVED CLOSURE AS OTHERS WERE WHEN YOU KNEW HER PERSONALLY??? WHAT WOULD IT HAVE HURT BY GIVING HER THIS CLOSURE FROM THE PAIN SHE AND HER CHILDREN SUFFERED OVER YOUR CLIENT'S ACTIONS OVER THIS PAST YEAR? I HOPE YOU CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT BUT AS YOU ONCE TOLD ME, WE BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT ETHICS AND I AM GLAD WE DO!

JUDGE SAMS, WHOM IS THE FINEST JUDGE I HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF AS A STATE COURT JUDGE, I HAVE THE UPMOST RESPECT FOR, SUSTAINED MR. HARRIS'S OBJECTION. HE WAS REQUIRED TO DO SO DUE TO THE OBJECTION MADE BUT MS. DUNN DESERVED HER CLOSURE AND SUFFERED EMOTIONALLY OVER THIS PAST YEAR DUE TO THIS TRAGIC LOSS JUST AS OTHERS THAT WERE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.

SO WHY MR. HARRIS WOULD YOU DENY HER JUSTICE TO GIVE HER STATEMENT TO THE COURT WHEN HER CHILDREN WERE ALLOWED TO? DO YOU HAVE A HEART OR JUST COLD BLOODED?

ERIC MAXWELL, WHOM IS A GREAT FRIEND AND EXCELENT ATTORNEY, HAD NO OBJECTION OF BARBIE DUNN'S STATEMENT BEING READ AS THE LAWYERS WERE CALLED TO THE BENCH WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ALLOW MS. DUNN HER DESERVED CLOSURE. ERIC AND I HAD TO WORK TOGETHER ON SOME LEGAL ISSUES DUE TO THIS TRAGIC LOSS TOGETHER AND I AM PROUD TO CALL HIM A FRIEND AND COLLEGUE. SORRY STEVE, BUT YOU REALLY DISAPPOINTED BY YOUR ACTIONS AND SHOWED MS. DUNN COMPLETE DISRESPECT IN MY BOOK AND TO ME AS WELL.

ON THE OTHER HAND, MS. DUNN WAS ALSO LET DOWN, IN MY OPINION BY THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, BY NOT BEING TOLD IN ADVANCE BEFORE THE HEARING SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE HER STATEMENT. INSTEAD, THEY ALLOWED HER TO DRIVE MANY MILES, STILL VERY EMOTIONAL, WHEN A SIMPLE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFIENT AND THE COMMON CURTESY MS. DUNN DERSERVED ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PAIN SHE AND HER CHILDREN WENT THROUGH AND SUFFERED.

THIS WAS DUE TO THE MANY CONVERSATIONS AND INTERVIEWS MS. DUNN HAD WITH THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE OVER THE LOSS OF HER EX-HUSBAND AND HER CHILDREN'S STEP FATHER OVER THE PAST YEAR. BOTH OF LENNIE'S STEP DAUGHTERS WERE ALLOWED TO GIVE THEIR STATEMENTS BUT NOT THEIR MOTHER.

HOW COULD YOU MR. HARRIS BE SO COLD HEARTED IN DENYING MS. DUNN HER CLOSURE AFTER BEING OUT PREVIOUSLY IN A GROUP FOR DINNER WITH MS. DUNN AND OTHERS WHOM SHE CONSIDERED YOU A FRIEND PREVIOUSLY?

THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU MR. HARRIS, IF THE SHOE WAS ON THE OTHER FOOT, WOULD YOU NOT WANT JUSTICE TO SPEAK IF YOUR FORMER WIFE WAS TRAGICALLY TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN DUE TO SOMEONE HAVING ALL THOSE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS IN THEIR SYSTEM WHILE DRIVING THAT KILLED YOUR EX-WIFE THAT YOU WERE ON GOOD TERMS WITH? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE TREATED LIKE SOMEONE YOU KNEW PERSONALLY LIKE YOU DID MS. DUNN?

AS MS. DUNN AND I ARRIVED TO THE COURTHOUSE BEFORE THE HEARING, I WAS TOLD BY THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE THAT LENNIE'S HALF SISTER, TRICIA MITCHELL WAS OBJECTING TO MS. DUNN GIVING HER IMPACT STATEMENT AND HAVING HER CLOSURE BUT NOT HER ATTORNEY, WHICH SHE DESERVED, BUT NO MENTION OF ATTORNEY STEVE HARRIS'S OJECTION. TURNS OUT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE FAILED MS. DUNN IN A VERY BIG WAY BY THIS LACK OF COMMUNICATION BEFORE THE HEARING AND ADDING HER TO THE VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT LIST OF WITNESSES AND NOT TELLING HER OVER THE PAST YEAR.

THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MS. DUNN ADVANCE NOTICE AND THE COMMON CURTSEY THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK. MS. DUNN HAD ONLY POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT A FINE GENTLEMEN THAT STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND HELP BE HER CHILDREN'S FATHER WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG FOR OVER SIXTEEN YEARS.

LENNIE WAS A VERY LOVING AND CARING FATHER TO MS. DUNN'S FINE DAUGHTERS AND THEY BOTH LET IT BE KNOWN DURING THEIR TESTIMONY TO THE COURT JUST WHAT A FINE MAN LENNIE WAS AS THEIR FATHER AND THE LOSS THEY HAVE SUFFERED.

EVEN THOUGH MS. DUNN WAS DENIED HER JUSTICE AND CLOSURE, AT LEAST JUDGE SAMS, AFTER HEARING ALL THE IMPACT STATEMENTS OF OTHERS, ADDED CONDITIONS TO THE PREVIOUS NEGOCIATED PLEA.

JUDGE SAM'S INCREASED MRS. PAINTER'S COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM 240 HOURS, PREVIOUSLY OFFERED BY THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, TO 1000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.

JUDGE SAM'S MADE THE COMMENT, AFTER HEARING ALL THE VICTIM'S IMPACT STATEMENTS THAT HE FELT LIKE HE HAD LOST A BEST FRIEND AS WELL. I THANK HIM FOR ADDING THE ADDITIONAL HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE WHICH ONE-HALF HAS TO BE DONE AT AT HOSPITAL.

SINCE MRS.PAINTER WAS NOT GIVEN JAIL TIME FOR RECKLESSLY TAKING THE LIVES OF TWO FINE MEN BUT TWO YEARS OF PROBATION, AT LEAST SHE WILL HAVE TO SEE OTHER'S IN THE HOSPITAL WHEN PERFORMING THE ORDERED COMMUNITY SERVICE. I JUST HOPE MRS. PAINTER HAS TO WORK IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT WHERE LENNIE AND JOHN HAD TO LAY IN PAIN FOR OVER FIVE DAYS BEFORE BEING TAKING OFF RESPERATOR'S THAT ENDED THEIR LIVES DUE TO MRS. PAINTER'S DRIVING. MAYBE THEN SHE WILL SEE WHAT DAMAGE SHE HAS DONE TO THESE FINE FAMILIES AND THEIR LOSS.

THE TESTIMONY I HEARD, MRS.PAINTER HAD THREE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS IN HER SYSTEM ALONG WITH A STOMACH MUSCLE RELAXER WHEN THIS TRAGEDY OCCURRED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THAT CAUSED THESE DEATHS. AGAIN MR. STEVE HARRIS, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DENY MS. DUNN HER DESERVED CLOSURE. MAYBE YOU FORGOT SHE ALSO HELP CAMPAIGN FOR YOU WHEN YOUR RAN FOR SOLICITOR GENERAL.

MR. HARRIS, I JUST HOPE THAT YOUR NEVER PUT IN THE POSITION THAT MS. DUNN WAS OR DO YOU VEN HAVE A HEART OR ANY COMPASSION? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR RESPONSE BUT DOUBT I WILL BECAUSE YOUR NOT THE MAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE.

SINCERELY,

BOBBY SUTTLES

Today I attended the sentencing hearing for "Melissa Painter" the 24 yr old responsible for causing the horrific accident that took the life of my former husband "Lennie Dunn" and his dear friend "John Minaberry". All throughout this process the family including myself had been kept informed of court dates, etc. so that we could attend if we chose to do so. I received a call over a week ago informing me that Melissa Painter was entering a plea deal through her attorney "Steve Harris". Just as the rest of the family, former family members and friends, I too prepared my impact statement.
When the time came for impact statements, I was not called to give mine. My attorney, along with Patricia Mitchell's attorney, and the defense attorney approached the bench to ask the judge to please allow me to read my impact statement so that I too could have some sort of "closure". Steve Harris, attorney for the defendant Melissa Painter objected and there for I was not allowed to give my statement.
Steve: You may have stopped me in that arena but you can't stop me now. The following is my impact statement.
I never dreamed I'd be here today with such a heavy heart. The accident that Melissa Painter caused "could" have been avoided, none of our families should have had to endure this type of pain and agony. None the less, it did happen, and we are now forced to move onward without two men in our lives that were wonderful men, Fathers, Brothers, Grandfathers, Uncles and dear friends to many.
I can not escape the reality of the event that took the life of my former husband, Father of my children and grandfather to our autistic grandson. There are very few places in and around Fayette County that I can go and NOT see a sticker on the door of a business right below the door handle that reads "Alwaysafe Lock & Key", the very company that Lennie and I birthed, nutured, groomed and made very successful...How can I "not" think about Lennie when I see our business stickers everywhere? The loss of Lennie has caused a great deal of pain, frustration, anxiety and depression, not to mention the many sleepless nights. It has been very difficult to deal with my own grief because I have felt the need to be strong for our twin daughters, and our grandson who are having such a hard time because of the manner in which Lennie died was so senseless. It's also hard enough trying to explain to a 6 yr old that his "Poppie" isnt' here anymore, but even more difficult because the child is autistic...all he knows is that Poppie isn't here for his birthday, Christmas or any other holiday.
My heart aches for the Minaberry family as well. John Minaberry was an awesome man, with a spirit that could light up an entire city. John was full of love and life. He was dealing with terminal cancer, and he deserved to live out his final days in the arms of his loving wife and children...but they were robbed of that by Melissa Painter.

At this time in my life, I too am facing the presence of a terminal illness, and now with my children's dad taken away from them...who will be there for them? Had Melissa Painters actions not taken Lennie's life,then perhaps I could be comforted in knowin that when my time comes that at least they would have their Dad.

Lastly, I have to express myself in regards to the Plea negotiation between the Solicitor General "Jamie Inagawa" and "Steve Harris". I too work within the legal arena, and I understand exactly what and what Steve Harris was doing, however with that said, I still strongly believe that past behavior is indicitive of future behavior, and Melissa Painter has proven that to be true over and over again, so why didn't you stand up for Lennie, John and the rest of the Fayette community Jamie Inagawa? I feel betrayed by the very legal system in which I work.
If she were a first time offender, then I could understand such a plea deal, I still wouldn't like it, but legally speaking I could understand it. However, under these particular circumstances, Melissa Painter has repeatedly and deliberately defied the orders of this very court. Although I do feel that Melissa Painter should have been sentenced to some jail time for taking of these two precious lives, I never asked the court to give her the maximum time allowed by law, but instead "time" to adequately reflect on what she has done. I also believe she deserves the opportunity to be rehabilitated through drug/alcohol treatment. Melissa Painter is the mother of 3 young Children all under the age of 10 and I fear that if this court does not take a very firm stance, those same three children will be her next victims, and it would be a shame for it to take something of that nature to get the attention of Mrs. Painter or the attention of the Court. Melissa Painter has made it very clear that she doesn't even think about her children when she is out committing these acts that have repeatedly gotten her locked up, let alone the safety of the community or public in general.
Steve Harris, you and the other individual who protested my impact statement might have gagged me today, however, you'll never take my FREEDOM OF SPEACH. It takes a cold, cruel and calculating person to stoop as low as you two did today!

Barbie Dunn
Fayetteville,GA