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* Who said the N-word in the Fannin County courtroom?* North Georgia newspaper publisher jailed over open records request* Georgia judge faces renewed ethics scrutiny after journalist’s charges dropped* Emails reveal judge coached district attorney on prosecuting Fannin Focus publisher
Fannin Focus Publisher Mark Thomason, who was arrested June 24 on charges of identity fraud, attempted identity fraud and making false statements. Thomason was trying to get access to Judge Brenda Weaver’s operating account.
Judge Brenda Weaver Fannin Focus Publisher Mark Thomason, who was arrested June 24 on charges of identity fraud, attempted identity fraud and making false statements. Thomason was trying to get access to Judge Brenda Weaver’s operating account.
Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney Alison Sosebee dropped charges against Mark Thomason and his lawyer, Russell Stookey, on Thursday. Sosebee sought grand jury indictments last month against the two at the request of Judge Brenda Weaver, for whom Sosebee served as a clerk in 2001 after law school.A North Georgia judge is no longer a member of the agency that is investigating her.
Brenda Weaver resigned as chairwoman of the Judicial Qualifications Commission on Friday afternoon. Weaver, a superior court judge in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, has been the subject of criticism from First Amendment organizations after she orchestrated the arrest of a newspaper publisher for the manner in which he investigated her finances.
“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity I was given to serve as a member and as the chairperson of this commission,” she wrote in an email to the other members of the JQC, the organization tasked with investigating Georgia’s judges. “The work of this commission is extremely important and nothing and no one should distract from its duties and responsibilities.”
Mark Thomason, the publisher of the Fannin Focus, filed a complaint with the organization against Weaver after his June 24 arrest. A grand jury indicted Thomason and his attorney, Russell Stookey, on charges of identity fraud and attempted identity fraud after they issued a subpoena for Weaver’s taxpayer-funded bank account records as part of a civil case.