State Clears Northern Circuit DA of Allegations

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

After a three month investigation by the State Attorney General’s office, the case against Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White has been dismissed.

On August 31st, the State Attorney General’s office released its findings into allegations White illegally used the endorsement of the Hartwell Police Chief Anthony Davis and his officers in re-election campaign mail outs, without first getting permission from the Hartwell City Council.

In his short ruling, Assistant State Attorney General Blair McGowan cited case law, State vs Hanson, for his decision to dismiss the warrant against White.

White said he is thankful for the state’s ruling.

“I’m grateful to have been exonerated by the Assistant Attorney General assigned to the investigation of the matter,” White said. “The warrant dismissal has been filed with the Hart County Clerk of Court.”

Under McGowan’s ruling, access to the criminal history record information in the case is also restricted under Georgia Code 33-3-37.

The allegations against White came just before the elections in May when a Madison County attorney, Lane Fitzpatrick, had one of his clients file an application in Hart County Magistrate Court to have a warrant sworn out for White’s arrest stating White had broken state law.

Then in June, Senior Superior Court Judge Robert Struble ruled there was enough evidence, based on a hearing, to have White arrested.

Struble ruled there was no evidence that written permission had been given to either Chief Davis or White’s campaign for use of their photos.

White had contended that under state law, it was Davis who was to have gotten written permission for he and his staff to be on White’s campaign mail outs.

Davis did receive verbal permission from Hartwell City Mayor Brandon Johnson who called the allegations against White “malarkey.”

White said that now that his name has been cleared, he and his staff will continue to work to bring justice for victims of crime in the Northern Judicial Circuit.

“Over the last three and half years we have been successful in moving almost 10,000 cases through Superior Court. It has been a great honor to serve the Northern Judicial Circuit and we look forward to digging in and fighting every single day,” White concluded.

White won his re-election bid in May by a wide margin, beating his opponent, Elbert County attorney Richard Campbell with 68.63% of the vote to Campbell’s 36.32% in the five-county Northern Judicial Circuit.

The Northern Judicial Circuit covers Franklin, Hart, Madison, Elbert, and Oglethorpe counties.