The Georgia Supreme Court is pictured in this Google photo.LAFAYETTE, Ga. – Two lawyers squared off Thursday morning to argue about how much work they actually do.
On the stand, Arch Farrar said he spent 120 hours – about three work weeks – preparing to fight legal claims slung at his client by the Walker County government.
David Cunningham, a lawyer hired to help the county, said Farrar is lying: he couldn’t possibly need that much time to do the job.
Farrar represents Bruce Roberts, Walker County’s former state court judge. In October 2012, three months after Roberts lost a re-election bid, he filed a petition against the county, hoping another judge would rule that the county had underpaid him. Last year, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Roberts has no legal claim to extra money.
However, Georgia’s high court said, Walker County would have to pay some of the money that Roberts owes his lawyer, Farrar, because the Georgia Supreme Court determined that the county filed three frivolous counterclaims against Roberts.
Walker County Attorney Don Oliver made those counterclaims in December 2012, four months after Roberts dismissed 53 traffic tickets in state court. Oliver argued that Roberts’ mass dismissal violated his contract, caused the county to lose money and caused emotional distress to some county employees.
Cunningham, Farrar and Oliver came together Thursday to figure out how much Farrar was owed. Farrar said the work took him 120 hours, and he sought about $30,000 as compensation.
Cunningham tried to rebuff Farrar’s claims.
“How long does it take?” Cunningham asked. “Thirty thousand dollars worth? That’s ludicrous.”
Judge Larry Salmon did not rule on the case Thursday, although he heard more motions.
The county argued that Roberts should pay some of its attorney’s fees. It also argued that it paid Roberts more than he deserved, and the county is asking for about $50,000 back.
What initially sparked the dispute in this three-year-old court case, according to the county’s estimations, was about $75,000 Roberts says he should have been paid.
When former state court Judge Donnie Peppers retired in August 2011, county officials say, he was making about $160,000 per year. Two months later, when Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Roberts to Peppers’ old seat, Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell agreed to pay him a $100,000 salary.
After he lost the 2012 election, Roberts demanded the same payment as Peppers. Instead, both sides went to court.
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@times freepress.com or at 423-757-6476.