Chattanooga man sentenced in car-chase shooting
CHATTANOOGA - A Chattanooga man whose alleged victim never showed up to his attempted murder trial was sentenced to nine years in prison this week.
Osei Sorrell, 33, received nine years Monday on his attempted second-degree murder charge for shooting a man in the head from behind the wheel of his SUV during a car chase in September 2015. That man, Kadarius Johnson, survived the shooting but ignored a subpoena to testify in August, prompting prosecutors to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Sorrell was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. And prosecutors ultimately dropped the warrant for Johnson's arrest. Sorrell faced eight to 12 years for the attempted murder charge and has already served about two years in custody. Since he'll be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of his sentence, he could be released in six months, according to defense attorney Joshua Weiss.
Sorrell has no prior convictions in Hamilton County Criminal Court.
Woodmore driver's trial set for February
CHATTANOOGA - Attorneys selected a trial date Tuesday for Johnthony Walker, the bus driver charged with killing six children in the 2016 Woodmore Elementary School bus crash.
Walker, 25, is scheduled to stand before a jury Feb. 27 in Hamilton County Criminal Court. He faces 34 charges from the Nov. 21 crash on Talley Road, including six counts of vehicular homicide, seven counts of assault and 18 counts of reckless aggravated assault.
Prosecutors say Walker was traveling about 50 mph in a 30 mph area, causing him to lose control and overcorrect into a tree. Walker's defense attorney, Amanda Dunn, recently said a second vehicle may have caused Walker to swerve right. It's not clear where Walker encountered the vehicle on Talley Road or who the driver is, prosecutors countered. Six children died and several more were injured in the crash.
Walker has remained in custody since the wreck, though last month a judge cut his $107,500 bond to $50,000. His next appearance is Dec. 19. Before that time, Walker's attorney could file more legal motions.
Man held on charges of soliciting a child
CHEROKEE COUNTY, ALA. - A Cherokee County, Ala., man was arrested Monday on charges of electronic solicitation of a child, according to authorities.
Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver said in a statement Tuesday morning that 50-year-old Clifford Michael Fitts, of Cedar Bluff, was arrested on the charge on Monday.
The child is from neighboring Etowah County, Shaver said.
Shaver didn't offer any other details on the arrest or investigation. Fitts is being held in the Cherokee County Jail and is awaiting bond, the sheriff said.
Lawsuit claims House districts drawn to remove minority voters
ATLANTA - Voters opposed to a 2015 redistricting plan have filed a second federal lawsuit claiming Georgia illegally "gerrymandered" two state House districts by moving minority voters out of areas represented by two vulnerable white Republican lawmakers. The suit, filed Tuesday by 11 voters who live in and around those districts, claims that the districts of Reps. Joyce Chandler, R-Grayson, and Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, were redrawn two years ago to increase the percentage of white voters in their districts to protect both incumbents, who are also white.
Chandler's District 105 seat and Strickland's District 111 have been two of the most competitive in the 180-member House. Both district boundaries were changed in 2015 when lawmakers passed House Bill 566, which also adjusted the lines of 15 other districts.
The lawsuit claims the bill "specifically targets districts where white Republicans have become increasingly vulnerable to challenge by African-American Democratic candidates, moving voters in and out of House districts based on their race so as to shore up the incumbent Republicans' prospects in future elections."