Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell said Thursday that he has distanced himself from a move the board made earlier this week that he felt “interfered with the judicial process” in an ongoing legal case.
The commission voted 3-1 to approve two resolutions tied to a grand jury investigation against county finance director Angela Jackson. The resolutions were added to the agenda at the last minute Tuesday night, drawing fire from District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson. Her office is trying to indict Jackson on charges of shredding documents.
Lawson said the commission violated the state open meetings law by adding the resolutions without proper notice. The resolutions dealt with the county's attorney-client privilege with two attorneys subpoenaed by Lawson and Jackson's policy of shredding call logs of cell phone bills once they reach her office. The case centers on whether Jackson violated state record retention law, which is a felony.
Bell, the lone dissenter, gave details about how the resolutions were added to the agenda in a statement he issued Thursday.
“To present a resolution in the manner in which it was presented on Tuesday evening was a violation against the county’s Board of Commissioners rules," Bell said. “My understanding of the rule that I am referencing is that it must be an emergency situation.”
Bell said he asked Vice Chairman Wole Ralph whether the resolutions were an emergency.
“Mr. Ralph replied ‘yes.’ I received no further explanation from Mr. Ralph.” Bell said. “As chairman, I called for a consensus to add the resolutions and I received a consensus from the board. I then directed the clerk to record me as a ‘no’ vote.”
Ralph referred all questions about the matter to an outside attorney who works with the county. Bell said he voted against the resolutions because he had not "assessed them or their implications and the nature of emergency was not given.”
About the Author
