When she urged the lawyers in the Justin Ross Harris trial to reach an agreement on disputed jurors that would keep the trial in Cobb County, Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark said the cost of a venue change was a primary concern.
The trial was eventually moved to Glynn County on the Georgia coast, where the judge owns a rental property. She stayed there for the duration of the trial and charged the county $99 a night — a move she said saved taxpayers "thousands of dollars."
“When we settled on Brunswick for the trial, (court administrator) Tom Charron and I discussed ways to save money during the trial,” the judge said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I agreed to a reduced rate to cover some of my expenses to save tax dollars. This was done with the court administration’s full knowledge and approval.”
The trial of Harris, sentenced to life in prison without parole for purposely leaving his 22-month-old son inside a hot car to die, cost a whopping $550,000, documents examined by The AJC revealed. About $275,000 went for the unsuccessful defense of the former Home Depot web developer.
Nearly $127,000 of the prosecution’s cost, including lodging and expert witnesses, was covered by Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds’ asset forfeiture fund.
Changing the venue of the trial from Marietta to Brunswick cost another $149,000, including Staley Clark’s lodging, which totaled $5,445 covering 55 nights.
The judge did not disclose how much her property typically rents for. But according to a local real estate agent, $99 a night is reasonable, if not a downright bargain — even in the off-season.
“Properties rent typically from a base point of $700 a week to $1,700,” said Connie Fry of Jekyll Realty, adding that off-season occupancy in the Golden Isles runs around 80 percent.
The fee is also in line, if not less than, what other court personnel paid for lodging. Staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Brunswick, for example, runs $120 a night.
Still, watchdog William Perry, former head of Common Cause Georgia, said Staley Clark didn’t need to reimburse herself at the taxpayers’ expense.
“The average person would look at that and say she’s taking advantage,” said Perry, while acknowledging that the judge didn’t break any laws. “Judges make a nice living. She gets to stay in her house. Why place an additional burden on taxpayers?”
West Cobb software salesman Tom Cheek, a frequent critic of county spending, said there’s little oversight of judicial expenditures.
“Once money is allocated to them they’re basically on the honor system,” he said.
As to Staley Clark’s charges to the county, Cheek said, “Considering the price, it doesn’t seem very egregious to me.”
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