Attorneys for indicted DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis filed a motion Monday that claim abuses by District Attorney Robert James mean he must stop prosecuting Ellis on public corruption charges.
Two things taint the 15-count indictment that accuses Ellis of strong-arming three vendors who work for the county into donating to his re-election campaign, the motion alleges:
• The basis for the charges of theft, extortion and conspiracy came from a special grand jury investigation that had no authority to pursue allegations against Ellis.
• District Attorney Robert James did not give Ellis required notice of the indictment.
Legal watchers described the latest skirmish as “high-level lawyering for a high-profile case” that will likely focus as much on the credibility of both James and Ellis as it will the 14 felonies.
Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson is likely to first set a date for a hearing on the defense team’s motion, where both sides can again make their cases.
Also Monday, Ellis formally waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty to all charges. No court dates in the case have yet been yet.
For more information about the latest motion, visit www.myajc.com.
About the Author
