ATLANTA — Facing a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, former Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody resigned Monday.
He announced his resignation just before pleading guilty in Cobb County State Court, admitting to groping Judge Glenda Hatchett's breast at a hotel bar last year.
Hatchett says justice was served, but she and others believe Gov. Brian Kemp should have suspended Coody long before he resigned.
Hatchett testified for about 13 minutes Monday before Judge Carl Bowers. She carefully detailed what Coody did, and how it affected her. After court was over and Coody was sentenced, Hatchett held a news conference, where she criticized Kemp.
She says the governor had the authority to suspend Coody and should have. Hatchett says she feels Kemp's decision not to appoint a panel to review the case enabled Coody, and she says Kemp did nothing.
"I'm going to go there. The governor, after men and women stood in front of the capitol last year and demanded the governor take action, he never suspended him," Hatchett said.
According to state law, the governor does have the authority to convene a panel to investigate. Then, Kemp could use that information to suspend a sheriff for up to 90 days, and in extreme cases, ask the local district attorney to remove them.
Kemp press secretary Garrison Douglas said by email that the panel could only recommend a temporary suspension for a misdemeanor, like Coody's.
"The purpose of the committee is not to determine the truth of an allegation, but rather to determine what impact such allegation has on a sheriff's ability to perform the functions of his or her office," Douglas wrote.
Hatchett and the Cochran-Bleckley NAACP Chapter say Kemp should have taken some action. Last month, they called for the governor to treat Coody like other sheriffs.
They brought up the case of Miller County Sheriff Richard Morgan. The group says the governor's office suspended him for 60 days when he was charged with sexual battery, and violating his oath of office.
"If you're going to discipline a sheriff in another county one way for violating the oath of office, then you should do the same for any other sheriff," said NAACP Georgia District Coordinator Gwenette Westbrooks.
Coody was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery and did not have any charges relating to his oath of office. Douglas says they decided to let the process play out as they did with the indictment of former Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown.
The governor's office says since the case is now resolved, they believe: "The proper outcome -- the permanent removal [of] Mr. Coody from office -- has been realized."
You can read the whole statement here:
"A committee appointed to investigate a sheriff, based on a misdemeanor charge, only has the authority to recommend the temporary suspension of the sheriff. The purpose of the committee is not to determine the truth of an allegation, but rather to determine what impact such allegation has on a sheriff's ability to perform the functions of his or her office.
It was the position of our office to let the judicial process play out -- as we have done in other matters, including the indictment of former Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown-prior to taking further action.
The legal process has now resolved with Mr. Coody's guilty plea and his resignation, and obviates the need for this inquiry to continue as the proper outcome -- the permanent removal Mr. Coody from office -- has been realized."