Former Chief Magistrate Bryant Cochran and Angela Garmley. Garmley's accusations against Cochran initiated a state investigation that led to the judge's resignation.ROME, Ga. -- Minutes after Angela Garmley met with former Murray County Magistrate Bryant Cochran for the first time, she alerted her family that something wasn't right.
Sherry Sane testified this morning that she waited outside Cochran's office in April 2012 when her sister requested that the magistrate hold a hearing to determine whether two women who fought Garmley should be arrested.
"Oh my gosh," Garmley apparently told Sane after meeting with Cochran. "I have to tell you something."
Sane testified that, minutes later, she listened while Garmley and Cochran talked on the phone. Garmely put her phone on speaker so Sane could hear. Cochran then asked Garmely to return to his office later in the week, wearing a dress with no underwear.
Cochran is now on trial in U.S. District Court for a series of criminal charges. They range from sexually harassing one employee to searching through another employee's phone without her permission.
But most of the charges sprout from Cochran's relationship with Garmley. Prosecutors argue that Cochran perused a sexual relationship with Garmley, who then filed an ethics complaint that forced Cochran to resign.
But before he resigned, prosecutors say, Cochran orchestrated a set up. One of his tenants planted drugs on Garmley's car, and members of the Murray County Sheriff's Office arrested her. The district attorney in that case later dropped the charges against Garmley, and the arresting officers went to prison on obstruction charges.
In federal court this week, prosecutors have argued that the whole issue began when Garmley visited Cochran's office, asking him to issue warrants against two women who she said beat her. Sane testified this morning that Garmley told her that Cochran propositioned her for sex.
Sane testified that Cochran called twice more that day, once asking Garmley if she would perform oral sex.
During his cross examination, Defense Attorney Page Pate argued that some of Sane's testimony didn't match phone records. She testified that Cochran called Garmley twice more, but Pate pointed out that records don't support this.
"It appears the last two calls (that day) came from Ms. Garmley," Pate told Sane, showing her the phone records.
"Yes," Sane said.
The trial will resume at 1:15 this afternoon.