Walker County Sheriff’s Office booking report for Feb. 15-21
Burkhart, Stacy Jo, 43, 746 Old Muse Road, Carrollton, Ga., possession of methamphetamine, possession and use of drug-related objects
Pursley, Dustin Caroll, 34, 36 Bloodworth Court, Flintstone, Ga., fugitive from justice
Hannah, Jody Wayne, 48, 921 N. Dick Creek Road, LaFayette, Ga., contempt of civil court
Stephens, Christine Antoinette, 38, 305 Alabama St., Rossville, Ga., failure to appear (felony)
Bullock, Kawon Dashon, 18, 515 Highthorn St., Chattanooga, Tenn., reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer for a felony offense, theft by bringing stolen property into state (felony), driving while license suspended or revoked (first offense)
Harriss, Gavin Michael, 18, 1212 W. North Main Street, LaFayette, Ga., statutory rape (misdemeanor) victim is 14 but less than 16, offender is 18/younger and no more than four years older
Vandergriff, Tracy Dawn, 51, 143 Jenkins Road, Rossville, Ga., failure to appear (felony), hold for other agency
Reynolds, Brian Alexander, 40, 57 Ashley Lauren Lane, Rossville, Ga., disorderly conduct, simple battery (family violence)
Hardeman, Robert Lucaz, 21, 547 Crest Road, Chattanooga, Tenn., fugitive from justice
Roberts, Tyler Labron, 28, 3008 12th Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., probation violation (felony), simple assault (family violence)
Moore, Robert Thomas, 32, 677 Tucker Road, Chickamauga, Ga., failure to register as sex offender/failure to comply with requirements/provide false info
Smith, Timothy Wade, 46, 2165 Kemp Road, LaFayette, Ga., probation violation (felony)
Robertson, Michael Wesley, 49, 123 Starlight Drive, Rock Spring, Ga., willful obstruction of law enforcement officers (felony), possession of methamphetamine
Palmer, Joseph Christian, 27 Sunrise Drive, LaFayette, Ga., probation violation (felony), parole violation
Sams Jr., Robert Lester, 43, 31 Edward Lane, Flintstone, Ga., probation violation (felony)
Yoder, Amy Felisa, 44, 91 Bates Drive, LaFayette, Ga., simple assault (family violence), drugs to be kept in original container, possession of methamphetamine; sale, distribution or possession of dangerous drugs (X10); abandonment of certain drugs, poisons or controlled substances (X10)
Deberry, Jeffery Tad, 31, 1369 Dry Valley Road, Rossville, Ga., possession less than 1 ounce marijuana, driving while license suspended or revoked (first offense), taillights/lenses required vehicles manufactured after Jan. 1, 1954
Griffith, Mary Katherine, 27, 345 O Harvey Road, Graysville, Tenn., aggravated assault, terroristic threats, criminal trespass (trespassing on property)
Tumblin, Cory Lee, 26, 308 E. Villanow St., LaFayette, Ga., theft by shoplifting (misdemeanor), probation violation (misdemeanor)
Rojas, Axel Cabrera, 21, 4310 9th Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., improper right turn, driving without a valid license (misdemeanor)
Craft Jr., Donald Raymond William, 32, 38 Clear Lake Drive, LaFayette, Ga., failure to appear (misdemeanor), simple battery (family violence)
Woods, Ronyale Antonio, 51, 400 W. Main St. 109, LaFayette, Ga., no insurance, expired license plate, driving while license suspended or revoked (first offense)
Clayton, Barry Alan, 63, 818 Asterwood Drive, Rossville, Ga., probation violation (felony)
Crowe, Anthony Ray, 57, 31 King St., LaFayette, Ga., possession of methamphetamine; trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana or methamphetamine; receipt, possession or transfer of firearm by convicted felon or felony first offender
Cox, Anita Josephine, 51, 35 King St., LaFayette, Ga., possession of methamphetamine; trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana or methamphetamine; receipt, possession or transfer of firearm by convicted felon or felony first offender
Chase, Jessica Logan, 26, 5204 Village Garden Drive, Ooltewah, Tenn., possession of methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance
Smith, Hunter Gregory, 25, 29 Williams Road, Rossville, Ga., possession of methamphetamine, possession of Schedule II controlled substance
Smith, Peyton McRae, 23, 8673 Flowerdale Drive, Chattanooga, Tenn., possession of methamphetamine, possession of Schedule II controlled substance
Romine, Wesley Lebron, 72, 8184 S. Highway 341, Chickamauga, Ga., aggravated child molestation, sodomy (aggravated sodomy)
Waldrop, Steven Todd, 48, 5 Martin Clement Road, Chickamauga, Ga., driving under the influence of drugs
Ramirez-Galendo, Eloy, 38, 49 Rifleman Drive, Rossville, Ga., cruelty to children or third subsequent offense, simple battery (family violence)
Payne, Joshua Alexander, 25, 201 E. Ridgewood Ave. (city not provided), fugitive from justice, expired license plate, driving under the influence of multiple substances, improper lane change/failure to maintain lane
Johnson, Jeremiah Arby, 43, 21 Frontier Drive, Rossville, Ga., reckless conduct
Carroll, Jeremy Keith, 41, 302 Shaver Road, Chickamauga, Ga., battery (family violence) (first offense) (misdemeanor)
Putman, Riley Neal, 18, 215 W. Indiana Apartment B (city not provided), speeding, improper lane change/failure to maintain lane, driving under the influence of drugs
Parker, Michael Anderson, 43, 4511 Delashmitt Road, Hixson, Tenn., probation violation (felony)
Hodge, Elijah Curtis, 41, ( underdetermined address), criminal trespass (trespassing on property)
King, Ronald Lamar, 25, 46 Hunting Ridge Circle, Rock Spring, Ga., speeding, reckless conduct, no insurance, drugs to be kept in original container
Howard, Randy Sirvel, 51, 2905 N. Nevada Ave., Tampa, Fla., improper lane change/failure to maintain lane, driving under the influence of alcohol
Gomez, Daphne Darcel, 33, 501 N. Chattanooga St. 1011, LaFayette, Ga., cruelty to children (second degree)(X2)
Crumley, Randy Scott, 35, 203 W. Main St. 105, LaFayette, Ga., violation probation (felony), criminal trespass (family violence), simple assault (family violence)
Callahan, Timothy Lawrence, 42, 259 S. Dick Creek Road, LaFayette, Ga., aggravated assault, aggravated assault (family violence act)
In the midst of the cacophony over election reform, vaccination policy, sports betting, Trump’s grumps harrumphs and another unconscionable private school voucher scheme, a piece of much-needed legislation is quietly wending its way through the legislative maze this session and maybe will finally become law. It is long overdue.
It is called the Child Victim Protection Act and it is intended to get our state’s child sexual abuse laws strengthened and in line with other states. The driving force behind the legislation is Atlanta attorney Marlan Wilbanks, founder of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic (CEASE), located at the University of Georgia School of Law and dedicated to representing survivors of child sexual abuse.
ChildUSA, a national think tank for child protection, ranks Georgia as one of the worst states in the nation for survivors of child sexual abuse to try to get access to the civil justice system. Georgia is one of only six states that does not allow claims after the age of 30. Currently, the age for filing sexual abuse claims in the state is 23. That is lower than every other state in the southeast.
Under the current legislation which seems to be getting broad bipartisan support, there would be a one-year open period for anyone of any age to bring charges of sexual abuse. After that, the law would be limited to cases occurring after 2015 and 52 years of age.
What is magical about the age of 52? Studies show that on average a victim of child abuse will not disclose the experience until that age. One clinical study found that 64% of participant/survivors experienced what they term “dissociative amnesia” and 28% suffered “severe memory deficits.” Those are scientific big words for being so traumatized by the experience as a child that it takes years to come to terms with what happened and to talk about it.
Wilbanks says that over time it is likely that 1 out of 5 girls will be abused and 1 out of 12 boys. This gets up-close-andpersonal with me. I have two great-grandsons and three great-granddaughters, all between the ages of 2 and 12, that I love passionately and who think life looks pretty awesome from where they sit. I can’t fathom them suffering a life-altering trauma as abused children.
My niece, Marlyn Darragh, a registered nurse in Gainesville, works with child victims of sexual abuse at the South Enota Child Advocacy Center in White County and with the Forsyth County facility as a sexual assault nurse examiner. I don’t know how she does it but I am proud of her for doing so.
What she, Wilbanks and others tell me is the pandemic has made child sexual abuse incidents worse, if that is possible. Children are cooped up with adults and no one with whom to share their incidences of abuse.
Caroline Wallace, long-time director of FAITH, a Child Advocacy & Sexual Assault Center serving Rabun, Stephens and Habersham counties, says there has been a 92% increase in requested services from victims of sexual assault during the past year.
Marlan Wilbanks has faced political headwinds in past efforts to get child sexual abuse legislation passed, mainly from the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church. Both have had more than their share of well-publicized sexual abuse situations but have opposed any legislation that would allow victims to sue them.
In 2019, Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory, now Wilton Cardinal Gregory in Washington, D.C., said such a bill would be “unfair to the church” and “drastically damage (our) ability to carry out the mission of the Catholic Church.” I suspect God found that downright hypocritical. Now Pope Francis, who has likened child sexual abuse to the ancient practice of child sacrifice in pagan rites, has pretty much muzzled that kind of talk.
As for the Boy Scouts, they have declared bankruptcy as they face some 300 lawsuits from men who say they were sexually abused as Scouts. They have wisely indicated they are not going to be a problem this time around. It also doesn’t hurt that Georgia’s First Lady Marty Kemp is a strong advocate in the fight against sex trafficking.
“Ms. Kemp’s efforts and ours fit like a glove,” Wilbanks says. “We both want to hold entities responsible for their predatory actions and make Georgia a model for protecting those that can’t protect themselves.”
It will be interesting to see if the legislators agree. Why would they not?
February 18, 2021
The meeting started at 7:30 pm via Zoom with Dr. David Boyle presiding.
A large group participated. The Minutes from December 17, 2020, were approved as submitted.
Julia Sexton gave the treasurer’s report: we have a balance of $362.82. Each member is asked to donate $35 annual dues to be sent to Julia.
Dr. Boyle reported that Katie Lewellyn will also serve as our youth committee to attract and register youth
Democrats. They will also be working to establish Young Democrats chapters in our high schools and Dalton State.
New business
Dr. Boyle reported that we have filed for “official Democratic Party” certification and awaiting approval from The Georgia Democratic Party.
Our technology person gave an update on our media program, We are now listed on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, along with Facebook. She is presently working on a new website and establishing a Google account.
A spirited debate was held regarding “mask mandates” or lack thereof in the Walker County School System. A letter was sent to the Superintendent and Board Members asking that such policy be enforced in all schools from Dr. Boyle. A courteous, brief note was received from the superintendent with no response to the request.
A discussion was held regarding locating and supporting suitable candidates to run for federal, local, and state positions.
Tyrone Davis reported on the County Commissioners’ meeting. Other than the approval of a code of conduct, nothing of significance to us was mentioned.
We discussed building a database of Democratic donors and disgruntled Republicans as we build out infrastructure.
The Meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm