Lawsuit challenges DeKalb ethics actions

Voters overwhelmingly approved a proposal last month to strengthen the DeKalb County Board of Ethics, but change may be slow to come.

A lawsuit by DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton questions the authority of the board to sit in judgment of officials’ behavior, arguing that it undermines fundamental due process rights.

As a result of the lawsuit, a judge put Sutton's case on hold. The suit could have farther-reaching consequences if a judge agrees with the idea that the board is unconstitutional.