VOLUME 22 NUMBER 44
FREE
FEBRUARY 10, 2017
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
Mary-Pat Hector prevails in Stonecrest challenge
DeKalb Board of Elections gives19-year-old green light to run By Mackenzie N. Morgan
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pplause and cheers George Turner goes before the board. filled the DeKalb young people in the state of Georgia County Board of Elections and around the nation. It’s letting chambers as the board unanimousthem know that you can be a part of ly decided that Mary-Pat Hector is the political process.” qualified to run for office in the city Turner said he would not appeal the of Stonecrest. DeKalb Board of Elections’ Feb. 9 The 19-year-old Spelman College decision. sophomore will be one of four “I’m glad the question was ancandidates on the ballot seeking the swered. It is now cleared up and I District 4 seat on the new Stonecrest won’t be appealing it,” Turner said City Council, which will be comimmediately following the hearing. prised of five members and a mayor. A crowd of supporters for Hector Election Day is March 21. packed out the hearing. Several Opponent George Turner, Jr. had spoke in favor of Hector during challenged Hector’s age to serve. public comments, asking the board The board had to determine if Hector to allow her the chance to run. needed to be 21 because since the Attorney Marvin Arrington, Jr. who city’s charter specifies no age reis also a member of the Atlanta City quirements. Council, represented Hector at the “I feel amazing. I feel great. But I’m hearing. Arrington cited several not just concerned about my feelings examples of teens serving in public but the feelings of my team,” said office including John Eunice who Hector “When I originally told them was only 18 when he was elected in about the contest (from Turner), they 2003 to the Valdosta City Council. felt depressed and sad. They felt like He became the youngest person ever they were robbed of something. But elected to a city council in Georgia. this isn’t just about me. It’s about Arrington said he believed that
Mary Pat Hector is sworn in at the hearing as she stand next to Attorney Marvin Arrington. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News
Turner’s challenge to Hector’s age was unconstitutional. He argued that since the Stonecrest charter did not specify any age requirement to serve but instead stated that a candidate shall be 18, Hector met the qualifications. “It is really unfortunate that women and minorities are still fighting for access to the ballot,” said Arrington. Hector said she decided to run after fellow students and peers encouraged her. She said they were disappointed with the results of the Presidential election and thought about ways they could make a difference on a local level.
“We need to be more involved in the political process and do more than just register people to vote and actually start running for office. We want to be the change we wish to seek,” said Hector. “I have heard my elders say ‘wait your turn.’ It’s shocking because all my life, I’ve done nothing but serve my community. I think it’s a time for change, a time for a breath of fresh air. Isn’t that what Stonecrest was supposed to be about?” said Hector. Hector is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Comparative Women’s studies at Spelman College in Atlanta.
DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston dismisses retrial for Burrell Ellis
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here will be no retrial in the Burrell Ellis case. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced at a Feb. 6 press conference that she had signed the order to dismiss the case against the former DeKalb CEO. She said she reviewed the case and there was no need for a retrial. Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson granted Boston’s request to dismiss the case. Attorney Dwight Thomas, part of Ellis’ legal team, said that Boston “did the right thing. She did the honorable thing. It’s finally over.” The decision is one that Ellis had been waiting for since the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction on Nov. 30. The high court said Ellis wasn’t given a fair trial because testimony that could have helped clear him was prohibited. Ellis maintained his innocence throughout the
ordeal. Ellis was reinstated and returned to office for a few weeks in December, just ahead of Michael Thurmond’s January installation as DeKalb’s new CEO. Ellis had been suspended from office since July 2013 after facing criminal charges for allegedly trying to extort campaign contributions from county vendors. Ellis had two trials, the first ending in a hung jury in 2014. Ellis was retried and found guilty in 2015 of attempted extortion and perjury. Ellis served eight months in prison and appealed his sentence to the Georgia Supreme Court. After the high court overturned Ellis’ conviction, Robert James, who was leaving office as DeKalb’s D.A., said he would not decide if Ellis should be retried. He said the new D.A. should make the decision.
DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston holds news conference on Feb. 6 to announce her decision in the Burrell Ellis case. Photo by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News
Boston, who was elected as D.A. in November 2016, said she would review the case once she was sworn into office in January. A vid-
eo of the news conference she held to announce her decision to dismiss the case can be viewed at: https:// youtu.be/OA-BVuupkjY.