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Alpharetta-Roswell
REVUE NEWS
November 7, 2013 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 28, No. 45
Roswell sued by court clerks Allege illegal, improper actions By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com
Members of Alpharetta’s Public Safety Department took to the kitchens to brew up chili. From left are Clifton Hart, David Freeman, John Allen and Nicole French.
North Fulton enjoys chili weekend 2 events keep residents warm By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – As the weather has turned chilly, residents have turned to chili to keep warm. Nov. 2 was North Fulton’s chili day, with both Roswell and Alpharetta holding cook-off events. In Roswell, the fourth annual Willow Springs “Williez” Chili Cook-off hosted 22 teams from the metro area, twice as
many as previous years. Money raised at the event went toward Keep Roswell Beautiful and the Drake House. Adam Neal brought back his award-winning recipe for the second year. Last time, he won judges’ choice. Made with hamburger, sausage and stew meat, Neal said he marinates the meat in jalapeno juice for 24 hours. Overall, the chili takes three days to make. He said he returns because it is a good event for good causes. The same day, Alpharetta’s Public Safety Department
hosted their second chili cookoff alongside the city’s University of Georgia football game tailgate. Taking over downtown Alpharetta, 20 different chili recipes were on offer while the Alpharetta High School band and the UGA Red Coat Alumni Band performed in between plays of the game. Proceeds from the event went toward the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation, which provides resoures for the department.z
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ROSWELL, Ga. – The city of Roswell court services are the subject of a recent lawsuit filed by employees of the court claiming the city solicitor has acted improperly and that the city is breaking its own laws by trying to appoint a municipal judge. Linda Spencer, the chief clerk of the court, and Patti Lane, the deputy clerk, have filed suit against the city, alleging that City Solicitor Krista Young, in her duties as solicitor, interfered with their own duties and improperly withheld and impeded documents needed to run the courts. In particular, they allege Young removed 250 criminal warrants without authority or documentation. Clifford Hardwick, attorney for Spencer and Lane, said this was problematic. In a criminal case, the solicitor can elect not to prosecute a case if they feel there is a lack of evidence. But when a warrant is issued, it takes a judge to cancel it, not a prosecutor. “With a bench warrant still outstanding, a citizen may be put in a position where they are stopped for a traffic ticket and the officer checks their computer and sees an active bench warrant, even though the case is dismissed,” Hardwick said,
adding it could result in “serious liability” for the city. Spencer and Lane claim they want the city to stop the outsourcing of the clerk positions and to stop Young from her alleged interference in their jobs. In its response to the lawsuit, the city claims the clerks are subordinates of the solicitor, who, according to the charter, may assign them duties and tasks (as well as take them away). Also, the clerks – like all city employees – serve at the pleasure of the council, which has the right to fire with any or no reason at all. Roswell is seeking to outsource most court services in an attempt to streamline the court process as well as save money. Most current clerk positions – including Spencer’s and Lane’s – will be eliminated under the proposed plan. Spencer and Lane are hoping to stop that process, which they claim is in violation of the city charter. In the city’s response to the charges, they contend that not only are the clerks overstepping their limits as servants of the city, but that they demonstrate a “shocking sense of personal entitlement to offices that are not theirs.” Also, with the sudden resignation of longtime Judge Maurice Hilliard in August, the judge’s seat has been empty, with the city debating whether to elect a new
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