Larry Bush HillLarry Bush Hill, the LaFayette, Ga., attorney who tried to convince a child molestation witness to recant her testimony, was released from the Walker County Jail on Thursday.
A judge sentenced Hill to 90 days behind bars as part of a plea agreement Sept. 25. But Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said Hill left on parole after serving half his allotted time.
Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Bert Poston, brought in from outside the county to handle Hill's case, said the former lawyer probably received "two-for-one" credit for time served. Hill's attorney, Chris Townley, said the shortened sentence was "impliedly" part of the plea agreement, based on what was available to Hill under the law.
On May 1, according to an indictment, Hill met with a woman who previously told the police she saw her 12-year-old son perform oral sex on her former boyfriend, Mark Lynn McGill. Hill was representing McGill.
During the meeting, the woman told Hill the same thing she told investigators. And yet, according to an indictment, Hill returned to her later that day with an affidavit. Supposedly written in her voice, the document said the woman actually had never seen the alleged molestation.
The Walker County Sheriff's Office recorded the meeting. And when Hill exited the room, a detective was waiting on the other side of the door. He seized the document as evidence.
The sheriff's office was monitoring Hill because McGill had been trying to convince the woman to recant her testimony. In April, the woman was arrested on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. McGill then lobbied a third party, according to an incident report. He said he could find the woman a lawyer and pay her bond.
The third party, a girlfriend of the witness, contacted the sheriff's office, and a detective has a recording of at least one of McGill's conversations with her, according to the incident report.
In September, Hill pleaded guilty to charges of influencing a witness and attempting to suborn perjury, both felonies. In addition to jail time, Hill agreed to surrender his law license, closing up his practice down the street from the courthouse.
The cases against McGill are pending. In addition to the child molestation case, he now faces the same crimes as Hill. His cases are on the calendar to go to trial in Walker County later this month.
As part of his plea agreement, Hill is supposed to testify in McGill's case.
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.