Citizens Concerned About the Athens-Clarke/Oconee County District Attorney's Office

After a long and contentious election, Deborah Gonzalez has finally been given the pink slip. The voters of Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties have spoken and Kalki Yalamanchili received an overwhelming majority of the votes. It appears the community has agreed that Ms. Gonzalez is incompetent and not qualified for the role of District Attorney. Interestingly, Ms. Gonzalez made a late night press release suggesting the race was incredibly close with only 623 votes separating the candidates. She later amended the post to only apply her math to Athens-Clarke County. The election results published by the Secretary of State show that… Read more: Kalki Yalamanchili Elected Our New District Attorney 

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, local attorney Kevin Epps is scheduled to receive the Marsy’s Law Champion Award by Marsy’s Law for Georgia to commemorate October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Mr. Epps has been a vocal champion for local crime victims who have been ignored and violated by District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez. Mr. Epps has initiated numerous Marsy’s Law violations against DA Gonzalez on behalf of crime victims whose rights were ignored. Athens-Clarke County Oconee County The award will be presented to Mr. Epps on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. in Courtroom #1 of the Oconee County… Read more: Local Attorney to be Honored for Supporting Victims Against DA Gonzalez

In June 2023, a local resident filed a case against Ms. Gonzalez as District Attorney for the Western Circuit claiming that she had failed to comply with various Open Records Requests. The original requests were sought to investigate the ongoing disregard for the rights of victims and related matters involving the the failure of the District Attorney’s office to effectively prosecute criminals resulting in a safety issues throughout Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties. Instead of simply complying with the law, Ms. Gonzalez tried to make various arguments that she was not required to comply with the Open Records Act in the… Read more: District Attorney Gonzalez Is Subject to Open Records Lawsuit

On September 10, 2024, District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez was sued in Federal Court for violating the constitutional rights of one of her constituents. The Court scheduled an emergency hearing on October 7 to consider the Plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction. On September 25, 2024, the attorney for District Attorney Gonzalez sent an offer of judgment and letter explaining the recent actions she has taken to correct prior conduct related to improper viewpoint censorship. In outlining the details, it was stated that District Attorney Gonzalez had: (1) removed any limiting filters or bans of content or users; (2) ended any… Read more: DA Gonzalez Celebrates Violating First Amendment Rights

On April 1, 2023, Mr. Auston Antonio Gantt was arrested in Athens-Clarke County for Aggravated Assault (x 5) , felony Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officer (x 4), and Removal of a Weapon of a Public Official (x 2). It is alleged that Mr. Gantt struck multiple law enforcement officers at the Athens-Clarke County Jail with a sock that he had weaponized with a bar of soap, utilizing stolen tasers on law enforcement officers during the scuffle, by chocking a law enforcement officer with his arm. As part of this situation, Mr. Gantt unlawfully took possession of two tasers from two… Read more: New Marcy’s Law Violation by DA Gonzalez (Victims are Law Enforcement Officers)

Interesting update… Jessica Weinstein of Cumming, Georgia is a paid campaign manager for Deborah Gonzalez. Ms. Weinstein is also affiliated with a campaign for Harris-Walz. Until recently, a profile operated by Ms. Weinstein supporting the Harris-Walz campaign was providing signification social media attention in support of the Gonzalez campaign. After being asked about this interesting affiliation, Jessica Weinstein and the profile associated with Harris-Walz campaign seemed to disappear from the Facebook page for Deborah Gonzalez. Not sure why there was a sudden departure of social media attention, but an interesting update given the ongoing difficulties DA Gonzalez and her office… Read more: DA Deborah Gonzalez Gets Social Media Support from Paid Campaigner – Also affiliated with Harris/Walz Profile

On September 19, 2024, the Honorable Lisa Lott conducted a probation violation hearing in the case of State v. T. Hillsman. It was alleged that Mr. Hillsman had violated his probation in 10 different ways. After the case was called, the District Attorney’s Office put up several witnesses addressing three of the ten alleged violations. Despite having other witnesses in the hallway, ADA Elizabeth Sutton (licensed in 2005) and ADA Michael Ody (licensed in 2002) failed to call further witnesses or provide any evidence regarding the remaining allegations. When the District Attorney’s Office was called upon the Court, they failed… Read more: Another Contempt Finding vs. District Attorney’s Office

Under the First Amendment, government officials such as District Attorney Gonzalez are prohibited from establishing a government social media page permitting public comment and then censoring unfavorable comments that express opposing viewpoints. Unfortunately, DA Gonzalez has been ignoring the constitutional rights of her constituents and simply deleting posts which she deems unfavorable. Interactive social media accounts, such as the DA Facebook profile page, if regulated by a public official acting under color of state law, constitute government-controlled forums and are subject to the same First Amendment requirements as are physical forums managed by the government. Although social media platforms such… Read more: 1st Amendment Case Filed Against DA Gonzalez

Oops… She did it again! District Attorney Gonzalez and her staff have been found guilty of another Marsy’s Law violation for violating the rights of a victim. In this situation, the District Attorney’s Office admitted in open court that they had made inaccurate statements to the Court regarding “attempted contact” with the victim. In fact, the designated Assistant District Attorney made a false statement since no attempt had been made to try to have contact with a victim prior to a bond order hearing. As a result of the ongoing issues with violating the rights of victims, the Honorable Lawton… Read more: Another Marsy’s Violation = Mandatory Training for DA Gonzalez and ADA’s

State v. Gerald Fleming As part of an investigation by GBI, Gerald Fleming of Watkinsville, Georgia was arrested for 10 counts of sexual exploitation of children on Nov. 7, 2023. The GBI conducted a search at Fleming’s residence in Oconee County and located evidence that he possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material. His request for bond was DENIED by the Magistrate Court at the time of arrest and then again by the Superior Court on December 21, 2023 due to significant threat or danger to the community and risk of re-offending. As set forth in O.C.G.A. 17-7-50, Georgia law… Read more: Bond Granted for Dangerous Predator Due to DA Error

Multiple errors by District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez results in dismissal of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault charges. Athens-Clarke County Case No. 1: Shortly after being released from jail in a nearby county on or about February 9, 2023, Mr. Tyler Lamir Ridgeway was suspected of 3 counts of Armed Robbery (Felony) and 3 counts of Aggravated Assault (Felony) related to an incident that occurred on February 16, 2023 in which three separate victims were allegedly robbed at gunpoint. Mr. Ridgeway allegedly stole a Glock handgun and U.S. currency from three males in Athens. Athens-Clarke County Case No. 2: On February… Read more: Armed Robbery Dismissed – State v. Tyler Lamir Ridgeway

Hard work pays off…. On April 17, 2023, the District Attorney’s Office managed by Deborah Gonzalez was caught yet again unprepared for trial on a case involving rape, incest, and child molestation. Surprisingly, the prosecutor then announced that he was going to dismiss the case. Thankfully, the victim’s mother retained local counsel and filed for a hearing with the Judge based on a Marsy’s Law Violation. The mother also requested that Deborah Gonzalez and her office recuse themselves from the case. A hearing was held on May 19, 2023. The District Attorney’s Office admitted to violating the rights of the… Read more: CONVICTION: State v. Michael Lareco Daniel

In what is likely an answered prayer for many, DA Gonzalez announced that she would NOT be attempting to prosecute the case against Jose Antonio Ibarra for murdering Laken Hope Riley on February 22, 2024 at UGA’s intramural fields off College Station Road. Instead, Sheila Ross, a veteran lawyer with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council (PAC) will take full responsibility for the prosecution of the case. Despite her many shortcomings, Ms. Gonzalez should be praised for realizing that she was not capable of properly addressing this case. Relevant Court Files: News Stories https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/athens-da-staffing-issues-laken-riley-murder-case/85-77df7558-7d8e-4e6f-8c6c-a0967d7a8f3a https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/crime/2024/02/27/special-prosecutor-named-for-laken-riley-murder-case-in-athens-ga/72756923007/ https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/athens-da-bringing-top-trial-attorney-laken-rileys-murder-case-amid-criticism-lawyers/3QU4OLPLTJG3PFWKY7A52GQC74/ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/residents-who-live-in-apartment-complex-with-accused-uga-killer-brother-still-fear-for-safety/85-f06bc59e-aa93-4fa0-80b7-ff8fa3a3a60b Gov. Brian Kemp questions Athens… Read more: Special Prosecutor Appointed for Recent Murder of College Student

On February 20, 2024, the District Attorney’s Office was hit with another “Not Guilty” verdict by a jury in Athens-Clarke County. Mr. Marcus Jamar Dowdy was charged with possession of a firearm while on probation for a first-offender felony related to the offense of entering an auto. After the trial where Ms. Gonzalez represented the State of Georgia, the jury only took approximately 15 minutes to find Mr. Dowdy NOT GUILTY. Interestingly, Mr. Dowdy has other charges in Athens-Clarke County related to even more recent illegal activity with a firearm. Incident on Sep. 11, 2023 Charges: Possession of Firearm by… Read more: Not Guilty – Repeat Gun Offender

District Attorney Ms. Gonzalez lost another felony trial in the case of State of Georgia vs. David Ellis Ippisch. According to the various court records, Mr. Ippisch faced a charges of rape and kidnapping related to an incident that occurred on Nov. 25, 2019 in a bar owned by Mr. Ippisch. It is alleged that Mr. Ippisch got the victim intoxicated and then raped her behind the concert stage curtain while hundreds of other people were dancing and drinking. Mr. Ippisch did not deny the sexual encounter, but claimed the intoxicated alleged victim consented. Despite there being several other young… Read more: Not Guilty – Alleged Serial Rapist

Knox Whiten, of Toccoa, Georgia, was struck and killed by Virkarria Lacole Steward in March 21, 2021 in Athens. Knox was a student at UGA, but killed due to the negligent driving of Ms. Steward. In an effort to cover up her crime, Ms. Steward coordinated with her mother and step-father to set her car on fire in Jackson County in hopes that her crimes would not be uncovered. Throughout the failed efforts to prosecute the case, the District Attorney’s Office failed to timely obtain an indictment which resulted in the Court being obligated to issue Ms. Steward a bond.… Read more: Justice Denied… Homicide by Vehicle (The story of the victim’s mother)

On November 6, 2023, the Honorable Lawton E. Stephens conducted a hearing in the case of State v. Luke Harrison Waldrop. After a daylong hearing, the Court ruled that Susan Wilson was in fact the common-law wife of James V. Jones after their relationship of 37 years. In fact, the District Attorney’s office always recognized Ms. Wilson as the “victim” representative until such time as the Marcy’s Law violation was alleged. Then, Ms. Gonzalez tried to create assert that Ms. Wilson was never entitled to notice of the plea hearing or pending trial date as she was not the “victim”… Read more: DA Gonzalez violated Marsy’s Law, Again

In a surprising twist, the public defender appointed to represent Nigel Brown, Ms. Kaitlyn Beck, has recently filed a Motion to Compel Discovery and for a Gag Order. In the motion, Ms. Beck contends that her client would be prejudiced if not granted access to all of the communications between the victim’s attorney, Mr. Epps, and the District Attorney. Interestingly, it is alleged that any statement made by Mr. Epps on behalf the victim are “witness statements” and subject to the discovery requirements despite the reality that statements of Mr. Epps could never be used to impeach the victim’s testimony… Read more: Attorney for Nigel Brown Harasses Victim and Victim’s Attorney

On August 4, 2022, Carlos Alberto Mejia was arrested for a traffic accident that occurred in Oconee County on Ga. Hwy 316. Mr. Mejia was charged with (1) Driving Under the Influence, (2) Hut and Run, (3) Following Too Closely, and (4) Open Container. On July 27, 2023, a court notice was scheduled for Mr. Mejia to be arraigned on August 21, 2023. However, the arraignment had to be continued due to the failure of the District Attorney’s Office to file an appropriate accusation regarding Mr. Majia’s charges. On September 8, 2023, another court notice was scheduled for Mr. Mejia… Read more: DA Failed to File Accusation Timely

On March 30, 2022, George Hampton Arnold, age 64, was arrested for shooting a gun at his own dog. He was subsequently indicted by a Grand Jury for three counts of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals pursuant O.C.G.A. 16-12-4. The police report suggests Mr. Arnold shot his dog in the backyard because one dog got loose and bit him on the ankle while trying to take the dogs food and water. In response, Mr. Arnold admitted to retrieving a firearm from his vehicle and shot at the dog who bit him. The intended dog was shot three times and two other… Read more: Charges Reduced After Man Shoots Dog

Interestingly, Deborah Gonzalez submitted a Letter to the Editor for publication in the Oconee Enterprise that was published on November 2. In letter, DA Gonzalez contends that her office has “prioritized working win collaboration with our law enforcement partners to keep residents of Clarke and Oconee counties safe, ensuring justice is served with due process and that victims of crimes are accorded certain basic rights.” It is further claimed by DA Gonzalez that a local attorney has “diverted attention” from the “notable work” of the DA’s office to focus on unfounded allegations. The court records show that DA Gonzalez has… Read more: Gonzalez Responds….

It appears the denial of justice in Athens-Clarke County applies to victims of all races. In this unfortunate situation, Esmeralda Heredia-Carias and some of her children were injured in an automobile accident caused by Jabbari Antione Stevens on Lexington Road. The vehicle driven by Jabbari Stevens crossed over several lanes of traffic in his Kia Sorento colliding with the Heredia’s vehicle. Mr. Stevens later admitted to consuming cocaine and marijuana earlier on the same date. A young child of Ms. Heredia-Carias, Gabriela, suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured vertebra, and spinal cord injury resulting in her being paralyzed from the waist… Read more: Justice Denied for Latino Accident Victims

The district attorney’s office has an official Facebook profile that can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ConcernedAboutOurDA/. In an apparent attempt to restrict negative feedback, Ms. Gonzalez and her office intentionally blocked the Facebook profile established by the group who operates the website located at www.concerned-about-our-da.com (“Concerned Website”). It is unknown how many other individuals and groups she has blocked in an effort to manage the negative publicity concerning her office. Under the First Amendment, government officials such as the District Attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit, are prohibited from establishing a government social media page permitting public comment and then censoring unfavorable… Read more: DA Gonzalez violates First Amendment – Unconstitutional Viewpoint Censorship

In an effort to create some accountability and oversight for district attorneys, similar to that experienced by Judges and law enforcement officers, S.B. 92 was passed to create the Prosecuting Attorneys Oversight Commission. Under the new law, the Georgia Supreme Court is empowered to appoint investigative panels to decide whether a prosecutor has committed willful or prejudicial misconduct, should be punished for not prosecuting low-level offenses or is found to have mental or physical disabilities that impeded their ability to do their job. Although there are plenty of district attorneys and solicitors signed a letter supporting the legislation, there are… Read more: Preliminary Injunction Denied – DA Oversight Panel

On September 20, 2023, a restitution hearing was scheduled in the case of State v. C. Austin. The hearing was scheduled to commence at 3:30 p.m. before the Honorable Lawton E. Stephens. The assigned Assistant District Attorney was Tab Hunter, formerly of the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office. It appears Mr. Hunt was approximately ten (10) minutes late to the hearing due to his participation in a “Zoom Call”. Mr. Hunter provided no other explanation as to why he was late. In response, Judge Stephens stated “Well, I expect you to be here on time, Mr. Hunter, and maybe you… Read more: Where is the DA’s Office?

Another one of the cases that suffered under the leadership of DA Gonzalez, the young victim in State v. Michael Lareco Daniel has good reason to have hope for justice. As of June 29, 2023, Randy McGinley, District Attorney for the Alcovy Circuit (Walton and Newton County) filed his Notice of Appointment as District Attorney Pro Temp and Entry of Appearance. A few days later, Mr. McGinley filed a Motion to Vacate Nolle Prosequi on July 7, 2023. The Court granted the request for DA McGinley on July 7, 2023 to reinstate the charges against Mr. Brown despite the prior… Read more: State v. Michael Lareco Daniel

On March 22, 2022, Mr. Balasooriyah was charged with five felony counts of possession and distribution of child pornography. After a months long investigation by UGA’s Police Department, it was determined that he has possession of videos including minors performing sex acts, a video of an exposed toddler, and a video of a juvenile masturbating. Multiple search warrants were issued during the investigation, resulting in the seizure of several electronics at an on-campus location. Law enforcement was first alerted about Mr. Balasooriyah after Facebook forwarded messages to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showing him distributing child pornography… Read more: State v. Dinesh Appuhamilage Balasooriyah

Mr. Johnson was charged with Robbery by Force related to an incident on April 18, 2022. As shown on the Indictment, Mr. Johnson was charged with pushing Mr. Robert Lockhart to the ground, putting weight on him, and driving his elbow in the back of Mr. Lockhart’s neck while stealing $40.00, cigarettes, and a lighter. Although charged with Robbery by Force, our District Attorney’s Office reduced the charge to Theft by Taking and allowed Mr. Johnson to be released with three years probation. Mr. Johnson was also charged with Aggravated Assault and False Improvement related to an incident with Jennifer… Read more: State v. James Edward Johnson

Mr. Maxwell was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Felony and Criminal Solicitation related to murder-for-hire plot against ex-wife’s boyfriend. The victim, Kevin Westover, was at his residence on North Bluff Road in Athens when numerous gunshots were fired by an unknown hitman. Mr. Westover was able to escape the gunfire without injury. Although the identify of the hitman was never discovered, Mr. Maxwell was tried before a jury in November 2021 by the current District Attorney’s office. At trial, the prosecutors requested admission of various text messages between Mr. Maxwell and the unknown hitman. The senior judge handling the case… Read more: State v. George H. Maxwell