MARIETTA, Ga. — Bleckley County's sheriff did not appear for a scheduled court hearing Thursday morning in Cobb County.
Kris Coody was scheduled to face a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, but the case had a status change.
For more than 130 people waiting to make a plea in State Court Thursday, the hearing started like this: "Alright, my name is Judge Carl Bowers. The court has a jury trial calendar call today."
But it didn't start that way for Coody. Nearly an hour after Judge Bowers walked into the courtroom, he finally read Coody's name; but Coody wasn't there.
Instead, he was waiting on a phone call to come into court. The judge said he was on 'on-call' status.
"You'll receive at least a one-hour notice. You'll likely receive an overnight notice," Bowers explained. "Court will take pleas at any point in time the parties reach an agreement."
His staff said they expected Coody to make a plea up until Wednesday afternoon. However, his attorney, Joel Pugh, asked for the new status because of a heavy case load Thursday.
Coody is accused of groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett in a Cobb County hotel bar last year. Thursday would have been his first court appearance since he was charged.
If Coody appears in the next couple weeks and pleads, 'Not Guilty,' he could face a jury in July.
"The only week in which cases will be reached or can be reached is the third week of this jury trial calendar, which is July 17th," Bowers said.
There's no word on when Coody might make his next appearance, but the court says they can give him up to two hours' notice before he's set to appear any time in the next three weeks.
Pugh says they're prepared to go to trial if they can't work things out with the state, but he does not believe they'll drop the charges.
Prosecutor Lindsay Chancellor says she doesn't believe the case will go to trial.
Coody has not responded to our interview requests since he was charged, and did not return our phone calls Thursday.