Retired attorney decides he wasn’t made for quiet life

Ken Fuller, longtime resident of Rome and local political figure, decided after retiring from bankruptcy law in 2010 that he was not made for the quiet life.

“I have no hobbies to speak of. I am not good with my hands, and I cannot work with wood. It didn’t take me long to figure out retirement wasn’t right for me,” Fuller laughed. “Plus, I think my wife, Anthonette, needed a little bit of independence. I decided it was time for me to find something to do with my time.”

Fuller, who has been practicing law since he graduated from the University of Georgia in 1973, had always enjoyed the courtroom work involved in criminal law.

“When I was a young lawyer there was no such thing as a public defender. The judge would call you into court and offer to pay you $15 an hour for your work outside of court for the client and $30 an hour for your incourt work,” Fuller said. “As a young attorney who had just hung my own shingle, it was a great way to make money and get your name out in the community.”

Fuller said that because of the early work he did with criminal defense law it seemed like a “no brainer” when his longtime friend Judge Mike Murphy of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit called and asked him if he might be interested in trying his hand at being a public defender.

“I was at home with nothing to do — bored — when I got his call. Mike offered to recommend me to the head public defender, David Smith,” Fuller said. “David took a chance on an old lawyer.”

Fuller, who turned 74 in

October, has been working with the public defender’s office now for over a year and said that he feels it has allowed him to do what he has always enjoyed most.

“I feel like going back to work has rejuvenated me and has allowed me to find a way to help somebody,” Fuller said. “The reward is helping the one client that really needs help and would not have a chance otherwise.” Contributed photo Ken Fuller (right) and his wife, Anthonette Fuller.

Fuller mused that his first big case that made him a local name came to him from Cook. A local man, Oline Pollard, had been accused of killing a banker in Cedartown, and tensions in the area were high.

“Mr. Pollard lived at the farm next door to the banker and they were the only two farms on that street,” Fuller explained. “Bobby Lee called me and said he had 27 to 32 witnesses that he needed statements taken from and asked would I be willing to do it for him. He paid $100 a day plus expenses for the work — I would have been foolish to turn it down. I was off to the races.”

Soon after, sometime in 1968, Fuller said that he was hired to defend Marcel McCorman, who was accused of killing popular local Grocer Kyle McConky.

“Rome was still considered a small town and this case scared everyone,” Fuller said. “If it isn’t even safe to check your mail at the government post office, where were you safe in town? What is there even in the post office to steal?”