Georgia prosecutor indicted, accused of misconduct in office environment

ATLANTA (AP) — A district attorney for 6 counties in west Georgia is experiencing allegations of prison misconduct though in business, in accordance to an indictment returned Tuesday by a grand jury.

Chattahoochee Circuit District Lawyer Mark Jones, who took place of work in January, is accused of trying to impact a law enforcement officer’s testimony, giving bribes to prosecutors in his workplace and making an attempt to impact and avoid the testimony of a criminal offense target.

His business office serves Muscogee, Harris, Chattahoochee, Marion, Talbot, and Taylor counties.

Jones did not straight away answer to a text message or e-mail trying to find comment, and his cellphone voicemail was full. A woman answering the cellular phone in the district attorney’s business office explained Jones was not out there and that the office environment experienced no remark. A protection lawyer who represents Jones in one more issue did not promptly reply to an electronic mail or a cellphone concept remaining at his workplace.

The indictment says that Jones experimented with to affect a law enforcement officer’s testimony all through grand jury proceedings in July. Jones advised the officer he should testify that a suspect in a killing thought that the target experienced been dishonest on him to offer a motive so the suspect could be billed with murder, the indictment states.

Jones in March made available a prosecutor in his place of work $1,000 to get a murder conviction and supplied yet another prosecutor in his place of work $1,000 to say a case was prepared for trial when it was not, the indictment suggests.

Also in March, Jones “did knowingly use a risk and have interaction in deceptive conduct” to affect and prevent the testimony of a crime victim and did not support the victim by way of the complexities of the felony justice system and make certain that the target was knowledgeable of his legal rights beneath the law, the indictment says.

“It is critical for the citizens of Ga to know that our business office will not wait to enforce the rule of legislation, such as when it includes the steps of a public official,” Lawyer General Chris Carr reported in a information release asserting the indictment.

Jones is charged with two counts of violation of oath by a community officer, two counts of tried violation of oath by a community officer, two counts of bribery, two counts of influencing witnesses and 1 depend of tried subornation of perjury. All nine counts are felony charges.

Every single depend of violation of oath by a public officer, influencing witnesses and tried subornation of perjury carries a penalty of just one to five years in jail. Attempted violation of oath by a community officer carries a penalty of one calendar year to 2 1/2 a long time in prison. And bribery carries a penalty of one particular to 20 decades in prison.

When an elected formal is indicted on a felony demand, Georgia legislation calls for the governor to wait 14 times immediately after obtaining the indictment and then appoint a review fee to contemplate whether or not suspension is appropriate. The users of the commission in this circumstance would be two district lawyers and a retired Supreme Courtroom justice or retired Court of Appeals decide.

They will be tasked with analyzing no matter if the indictment relates to and adversely affects Jones’ functionality of his duties in a way that negatively affects the public. They are to make a prepared report to the governor within just 14 times.

If the panel endorses suspension, the governor might quickly suspend Jones with pay pending the last disposition of his circumstance or the conclude of his term of office environment, whichever comes about 1st. If he’s convicted and any appeals fail, he’ll be taken out from business office.

Jones is already scheduled to go on trial next week on unrelated felony fees stemming from a campaign online video. He’s billed with initial-degree prison destruction, interfering with govt property and conspiracy in relationship with a Could 2020 movie for his election marketing campaign. The online video included stunt driving moves, which includes automobiles driving in doughnuts with smoking cigarettes tires in the parking large amount of the Columbus Civic Centre.

3 codefendants in that scenario pleaded guilty Friday and were sentenced, but Jones refused a equivalent plea offer.

The decide in that case turned down Jones’ statements that he was indicted for political good reasons just after he defeat the incumbent district legal professional in the Democratic primary final calendar year.