Politics
Politics

Judge in Braves bonds recognizes potential conflict

Judge C. LaTain Kell, Sr., assigned to the July 7 bond validation hearing, serves as a “special appointee” to the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. His mother worked as chairperson for Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee’s (above) 2012 re-election campaign.

Credit: CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

Credit: CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

Judge C. LaTain Kell, Sr., assigned to the July 7 bond validation hearing, serves as a “special appointee” to the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. His mother worked as chairperson for Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee’s (above) 2012 re-election campaign.
By
June 27, 2014

Cobb Superior Court Judge C. LaTain Kell, who has been assigned to preside over the bond validation hearing for the new Atlanta Braves stadium,notified attorneys in the matter on June 24 of his potential conflict of interest in the case.

In a letter, Kell wrote that he has a potential conflict because he is a board member on the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Kell’s letter doesn’t mention another potential conflict: his mother served as chairperson of Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee’s re-election campaign in 2012. Lee has been credited as one of the architects of the Braves stadium deal.

“In order to preserve the appearance of propriety and out of an abundance of caution, I am making you aware of this possible conflict which may exist,” Kell’s letter says. He then asks the attorneys to “present any concerns or reservations” within seven days.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that two legal scholars think Kell should recuse himself from the hearing because of his personal connections to the chamber and Lee.

About the Author

Dan Klepal is editor of the local government team, supervising nine reporters covering county and municipal governments and metro Atlanta. Klepal came to the AJC in 2012, after a long career covering city halls in Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky. He has covered Gwinnett and Cobb counties before spending three years on the investigative team.

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