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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
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.BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – After a reporter tried to see how Judge Brenda Weaver spent taxpayer money, Weaver targeted a political rival for quietly supplying the ammunition.
On June 1, as part of a civil lawsuit, Fannin Focus publisher Mark Thomason issued a subpoena for copies of checks flowing out of Weaver’s operating account. As part of the subpoena, Thomason attached a copy of a check. It came from the Fannin County general fund and had been deposited in Weaver’s account.
Thomason figured the check would help bank employees identify the specific account he was looking for.
Two weeks later, according to emails obtained through an open records request, Weaver asked if Fannin County Attorney Lynn Doss had a copy of the check, too. Doss did.