Former judge pleads not guilty, released

Bryant Cochran faces six charges in federal court.

A former Murray County chief magistrate accused of propositioning a woman and then trying to discredit her by having drugs planted on her vehicle pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court.

Bryant Cochran appeared in federal court on charges including witness tampering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and civil rights violations. He waived the reading of his indictment, and U. S. Magistrate Walter Johnson then released Cochran on his own recognizance.

Johnson ordered Cochran to have no contact with any witnesses in the case. A pretrial conference in his case is scheduled for later this month.

Standing outside Rome’s federal courthouse after the hearing, Cochran denied the accusations.

“I want everyone to know I’ve certainly not sexually harassed anyone — not guilty,” Cochran said.

Cochran’s attorney, Page Pate, said drugs were planted on a car, but denied any involvement by his client.

“I deny the allegations in the indictment,” Pate added.

Prosecutors have said Cochran in 2012 made sexual overtures to a woman in exchange for a favorable ruling in a case.

The woman was a witness in a Judicial Qualification Commission investigation into Cochran. That investigation stopped when Cochran resigned his judgeship in August 2012.

Prosecutors allege Cochran and others became involved in a conspiracy to discredit the woman.

Clifford J. Joyce, who lived in a trailer park owned by Cochran, planted methamphetamine on the woman’s car in August 2012. He’s since pleaded guilty to a drug charge and been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Authorities have said Cochran told former Murray County sheriff’s captain Michael Henderson that the woman had drugs on her. Henderson then shared that information with other deputies.

Some weeks later during a traffic stop, former sheriff’s deputy Joshua Greeson found the meth under a tire well.

Henderson and Greeson have pleaded guilty to witness tampering. They were sentenced to a year and 10 months, respectively, in prison.