The office of Sheriff will change as more and more rural power erodes in the legislature and more suburban and urban legislators are less tolerant of Georgia's "Cowboys".

AVOC

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August 27, 2003

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Georgia Sheriff Convicted in Federal Court - Again

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By Wendell Dawson , Editor, AVOC, Inc

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The Macon Telegraph (8-22-03) reported that the Treutlen County Sheriff was convicted of a Federal Civil Rights violation of an inmate.

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While this is a sad day for Treutlen County and law enforcement, unfortunately it is not an uncommon occurrence.

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The office of Georgia Sheriff is obsolete. It is a carryover from a day when was more like the "Wild West". Society is too sophisticated and complex to allow one person almost unfettered power in small counties.

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These facts have long attracted prosecution by Federal Authorities. Most convictions or curbs on Sheriffs have come from Federal intervention.

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Some sheriffs like to blame others for their wrong deeds. In the late 80's, the Oconee County, Georgia, Sheriff was convicted of a Federal Civil Rights violation. It was classed a misdemeanor and he continued to hold office while incarcerated in Alabama for a year. Many in the county thought it was disgraceful. Some of his die-hard supporters lashed out at others and blamed it on a "conspiracy". As an elected official during that time, I felt it my duty to try to steer the county through a very bad time in its history without getting officially involved in the matter.

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During the heat of the Oconee scandal, much adverse publicity and political damage was wrought. In time, passion subsided and most reasonable folks realized the Sheriff was a victim of his own incompetence and lying to cover up.

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Sometimes, we need the Federal Courts to lance our "boils". It is difficult for local officials to deal with them.

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The office of Sheriff will change as more and more rural power erodes in the legislature and more suburban and urban legislators are less tolerant of 's "Cowboys".

The Macon Telegraph

 http://www.macon.com/mld/telegraph/

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August 22, 2003

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Sheriff found guilty of federal charges
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By Wayne Crenshaw, Telegraph Staff Writer

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DUBLIN - A federal jury Friday convicted Treutlen County Sheriff Wayne Hooks of felony civil rights charges.

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The jury acquitted sheriff's deputy Ryan Griner, but convicted Hooks on two of three counts related to the arrests of two men. The jury acquitted Hooks on a charge that involved what Hooks said was a slap of Steven Tanner during an arrest at the Huddle House.

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County attorney Tom Everett said Probate Judge Grace Proctor would likely appoint an interim sheriff Monday to serve until a special election can be held. Proctor said she has not considered who that might be.

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Hooks was convicted on the charges in which he admitted to slapping Tanner and Tony King at the jail. Hooks told the jury the slaps were wrong, but said he did so for the lack of remorse from the two after a high-speed chase that caused Griner to crash. Griner is Tanner's first cousin.

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The prosecution argued for Hooks to be taken into custody on the spot, but Judge Dudley Bowen agreed to let him go free until sentencing.

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The Macon Telegraph

 http://www.macon.com/mld/telegraph/

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August 19, 2003

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Prosecution accuses Treutlen sheriff of 'pummeling' suspect
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By Wayne Crenshaw, Telegraph Staff Writer

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DUBLIN - The federal trial of Treutlen County Sheriff Wayne Hooks and a deputy began Monday with prosecution and defense attorneys offering significantly different versions of what happened during an arrest at a Huddle House.

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Hooks and deputy Ryan Griner are charged with violating the civil rights of two suspects they arrested Oct. 27, 2001, after a chase in which Griner wrecked his patrol car.

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The prosecution accused them of "pummeling" one of the suspects in an arrest at the restaurant. But Hooks' attorney said he only slapped the two suspects out of frustration.

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The prosecution's first witness, a Huddle House waitress, said she saw Griner and Hooks "beating and kicking" one suspect. But the defense promised another waitress would offer a different version.

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In his opening statement, Attorney Rick Thompson said Hooks and Griner "used their fists to pummel" Stephen Tanner in view of witnesses outside the Huddle House. He also said Hooks later struck Tony King with "chops to the neck" at the county jail.

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Both King and Tanner were arrested on DUI and other traffic charges.

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"Tony King and Stephen Tanner are not angels, but they did not deserve the treatment they received from this sheriff and his deputy," Thompson told the jury.

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He said the attack caused a "mass of blood" on Tanner's face.

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Griner's attorney, Page Pate, said his client never struck anyone during the arrest. And Hooks' attorney, Jim Wiggins, said the sheriff delivered an "open-handed slap" to both suspects, only after an arduous week.

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"This was merely the frustration of a very exhausted man who could not believe people could be so stupid," Wiggins told the jury. "He could not deal with this kind of stupidity after the week he had."

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And, Wiggins said, photos taken at the jail showed no visible injuries on the face of either suspect. He also said neither requested medical attention.

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"The evidence will show you that if (Hooks) hit somebody with a fist, there would be evidence that he hit somebody with a fist," Wiggins said.

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The only witness to testify Monday was waitress Jeanette Yee. She said Griner "snatched" Tanner out of a booth by his collar and took him outside. She initially said Griner proceeded to "beat and kick" Tanner, who was in handcuffs, in the back of Hooks' pickup while Hooks watched. But when prosecutor Lisa Kristen showed her a copy of a previous statement she made during the investigation, she said Hooks also participated in the beating. And, she said, Hooks and Griner began to kick Tanner's truck.

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Yee said she was "shocked" by what she saw and wanted to call someone to help Tanner.

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"There wasn't anyone to call," she said. "It was the cops doing it."

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She also said Hooks walked into the restaurant after the incident.

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"He said he had a good time and maybe we could do it again sometime," she said. "It was a shame."

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The incident happened at about 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Wiggins told the jury that Hooks had about 10 hours sleep over the past three days because he was investigating a bank robbery that occurred in Soperton that Wednesday. Wiggins said Hooks had been to Atlanta that Friday to stake out a location for the suspects, caught them, then returned to Soperton and attended a high school football game. He got home at about 11 p.m. and was asleep for about an hour when he got a call that Griner had been in a wreck, Wiggins said.

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The defense plans to call Bryan Vila, the author of "Tired Cops," which details the effects of police officers working without enough rest. The book compares it to being drunk and suggests that any exhausted officer could be apt to overreact.

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But Vila didn't show up for court Monday. Wiggins told Judge Dudley Bowen that Vila was served with a subpoena, and Bowen ordered a marshal to make sure Vila gets to court.

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After the jury left for the day, Kristen argued against Vila testifying at all, and questioned the validity of the science in his book. She also said effects of sleeplessness are "common knowledge" and no expert testimony is needed.

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Bowen asked for a copy of the book and said he wanted to read it before making a decision.

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As the jury prepared to leave the courtroom, Bowen informed them they would be sequestered during the trial.

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Hooks is charged with three counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law, and Griner is charged with one count of the same charge. Griner is also charged with witness tampering.

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Thompson told the jury that "in the weeks and months" following the incident, Griner approached one Huddle House waitress on several occasions about her testimony to the grand jury.

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But Pate told the jury that Griner only spoke to the waitress during chance meetings and there was never an attempt to influence her testimony.

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Testimony will resume today, and the trial is expected to take about a week.