This is part 3 of the Soperton trilogy. Here, the past comes to call again five years later
July 16th 1999 – March 2001 – Probation
Upon, being released from jail I am placed on Fulton County probation, which I complete to maximum length on supervision (2 years) and am allowed to serve the remainder of my probation on unsupervised (administrative) status out of Treutlen County. During this time, frustrated by the previous injustices, I write and publish on the internet my accounts of the events of what occurred in Treutlen County.
Meanwhile, in Soperton, on October 27th 2001: Sheriff Wayne Hooks and Deputy Ryan Grinner beat two men unconscious that were in their custody in front of a group of at least 20 people at a local Waffle House. They attempted to in influence the witness’s testimony; and are indicted by the federal government on January 9th 2001 for the crime.
July 9th 2002 – Demons from The Past
By this time it has been almost seven years after my initial arrest, five years after my conviction, and three years into my unsupervised probation status. One warm summer day I go to check my mail. There’s a letter in my mailbox address from the Soperton Probation Office. One or two times a year I receive one from them checking on my whereabouts to see if I changed employment, so I didn’t think this would be a big deal. I open it, and my heart sinks down to my feet. It’s says:
“You are hereby ordered to report to the Soperton Probation office at 11AM, Monday July 14th or a warrant will be issued for your arrest.”
My mind begins to race – “What the hell do they want with me after all of this time?” – I start to panic. I call down to Soperton to try to find out why they want to see me, but can’t get any details from them. Next, I call my attorney, Tommy Smith, from the initial case to see if he can get any information. I ask Tommy if he can accompany me to this visit. It happens, on that very day, he was leaving the country for Spain and had already filed a leave of absence with the courts. I ask him what I should do, he tells me that he would attempt to call to see if they would reschedule the appointment. He calls, they very arrogantly deny his request, so he faxes in a letter showing his attached leave of absence, and tells them that we will have to reschedule upon his return.
With no legal council available, and this hanging over my head, I decide the thing to do is to find the best lawyer that is available in the Atlanta area to see what they can do, seeing as Mr. Smith was able to do so little in the Soperton legal vacuum the first time through. I am referred through a friend to Jack Cook, an older and very well respected lawyer in the Atlanta metro area. I make an appointment with him the next morning.
July 10th 2002 – Meeting With Jackson Cook
The next morning at Mr. Cook’s office I again explain my situation to see if he can help. I explain that I have been released to unsupervised probation, have not been arrested, and stressed that fast that I had not been in trouble for anything since I the original crime on September 11th of 1997. He calls down to Soperton again and asks for a reason that I am expected to make a 400 mile round trip. Again, no explanation is given from the very arrogant attitude from Mrs. Gillis. He asks if he can speak to one of her superiors, and is referred to another person in the probation office. In his opinion, the fact that they would not give a reason for my appearance coupled with past troubles and my flawless record on probation advised me not to go down there, and said that he would write the judge to ask for a continence. That day a letter was fedexed to Treutlen County regarding this.
July 14th – Pins and Needles
On that advice of jack cook I did not show up for my probation appointment. I decided that I’d would get some insurance, just in case they were going to try to say that my reason for not showing up was some kind of attempt to elude a drug test, so I went to Any Lab Test (a private screening clinic, whose test are approved my the Atlanta probation office), submitted to a drug screen, and tested negative. Mr. Cook advised me not to be at my residence on the 14th, just in case they sent a deputy directly up to get me.
July 14th – 21st – On the Lamb?
Not knowing weather or not a warrant had been issued for my arrest – I spent much of the next week sleeping at my office and trying to avoid my house while I waited for a decision from the judge. On the morning of the 21st I called Mr. Cook and he indicated to me that the judge had called him back and told him that it would be fine to wait until Mr. Smith was back in the country to do the probation visit. Awesome, the pressure’s off…maybe everything will be ok? Until…
August 11th – Visit from the Dekalb County goon squad
About 5 in the morning I hear a rap, rap, rap at my back door. It’s the Dekalb county police and the have a warrant for my arrest signed from the good folks over in Treutlen County for my arrest. I try to explain, in vain, that it all had to be a mistake and that my lawyers had handled this. They state “Yeah man – sure – we hear that kind of shit all the time.”
I am taken to a holding cell where I stay till early afternoon what I am picked u by my arch nemesis himself, sheriff Wallace Wayne hooks and am transferred down to the Treutlen county jail.
AUGUST 11TH TILL SEPTEMBER 5TH – INCARCERATION
August 12th – Attack of the urine Nazi
Immediately fir the thing the next morning Mrs. Thalia Gillis comes up to my cell requesting a urine screen – which I turn up negative for, with the exception of benzodipines – which is a metabolite on xanax which I have prescription for and I explain that.
August 18th – 21st – Nero Play’s His Fiddle While Soperton Burns
While incarcerated in the Treutlen Count jail the trial of Wayne hooks and Deputy Ryan griner begins for three federal felony changes of deprivation of civil rights while in custody. Ironically, I am locked up in the jail above the sheriff’s office as this all happens. There is a lot of speculation that he will win the trial seeing as of the twenty or so witnesses to the incident – only one waitress could make it to court to testify. While this whore circus is going on – the whole town is shut down and there is no court, leaving me hanging.
August 22nd – Ever Dog Has His Day
On the Friday morning the jury gets back with its verdict, finding the good sheriff guiltily on both counts of felony civil rights violations. He is forced to vacate his job of 18 years, which is promptly filled by his cousin and becomes a hero for some reason.
August 23rd – 4th Delays, delays, delays…
The exodus of the sheriff apparently makes it so the whole town ceases functioning. Court is put off for two weeks while the changes take place.
September 5th – Finally, May Day in Court
On the morning of Friday the 5th, I am finally given a court date. My lawyer (very expensively) comes down from Atlanta and meets my attorney in Vidalia for the hearing. Mrs. Gillis (my probation officer), however decides that she can’t make it to the hearing. My lawyers ask the judge that I be released on my own recognizance, which he agrees to, and I am free to go. An October 3rd date is set for my hearing.
October 3rd – Finally, finally my day in court…
On the morning of Friday July 3rd both of my lawyers and me show up for court. The prosecutor, an abject dickhead, offers us a deal of “probation starting out with house arrest” – we decline the offer and the hearing proceeds.
First my probation officer gets on the stand as a witness. The prosecutor asks why she asked my to come down to Soperton after so many years on unsupervised probation. The prosecution had printed out several pages from the Dick Delicious website – one of which depicts me doing a line of (coke) sugar off of our drummers head.It was also on this same site where I had written the tales of what I’d been through in Rruetlen County.
Up to this time there was always some question in my mind as to weather the judge was in collusion with the powers that be in Soperton – as the hearing went on – the answer to that question became obvious – he was. The legal wrangling in court become quite intense, with the DA getting up and objecting to everything, and the judge agreeing to 90% of his objections.
I finally show the drug test I had taken from the same day I was supposed to be there for the drug test and attempt to argue a few more points in vain. The judge gives me a not guilty on the dirty piss test, no guilty for refusing to submit to a drug text, but guilty for failure to appear.
He places back on supervised probation in Atlanta.