January 5, 2008
DAN JORDAN AND KEN
JACKSON FILE SUIT AGAINST JASPER COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Dan Jordan,
Clerk of Court, and Ken Jackson, Chief Magistrate Judge, have filed for a Writ
of Mandamus against the County
Commissioners. Jordan and Jackson want the county to pay Jackson for his “40 hours of work each
week.” Jordan and Jackson also ask that Brenda
Trammel to be appointed Attorney so the County will pay her fees.
In September, the Commissioners cut Jackson’s pay in half. Jackson was
written a letter which explained unless he certified his hours to the
Commissioners showing that he was actually working full time or 40 hours a
week, his pay would be cut to 20 hours a week – or part-time Magistrate Status.
Ken Jackson refused to do so on at least 3 occasions. Jackson holds Magistrate Court two times a MONTH. Court usually lasts
from 9:00AM to 12:00Noon—six hours a month.
Dan Jordan,
Clerk of Superior Court, seems to have appointed himself as Ken Jackson’s
supporter, defender, and spokesman. Jordan
has a blog and uses it to defend Jackson. It is widely known that Jackson
works in 7 counties as a Juvenile Defender,
coaches 6 different ball teams at Piedmont
Academy, and carries on a
private law practice. Supposedly, according to Jordan, Jackson is allowed to do all this and still have time to work 40
hours a week as a Magistrate.
Jordan has even offered his and Jackson’s
services to the City – Jackson to be Municipal Judge while Jordan would be the Clerk of the Municipal
Court. Jordan and Jackson
seem to have a lot of time on their hands.
One wonders
why a Clerk of Court is so personally involved in a matter involving another
official. Jordan says he has the right to spend HIS
budget money, which includes the Magistrate budget, any way he wants. Jordan also
states that after the Commissioners approve HIS budget, the County Commissioners
“have NO authority” to tell him how the funds would be expended. The
Petition states that it is the desire of the Clerk,
Dan Jordan, to continue paying Jackson for 40 hours a week.
Jackson has never been able to justify working 40 hours a week as a
Magistrate for Jasper
County. Jackson shows up at Piedmont
somewhere close to 2:15PM on weekdays to coach or to leave for a game. Jackson also coaches games on the weekends
and attends tournaments for as long as a week at a time. Game schedules
and rosters show Ken Jackson to be the “Head Coach” of several of the 6
teams he coaches, and assistant coach on others. Most
mornings Jackson
is in another county working as a Juvenile Defender. One wonders
when and where he carries on a private law practice.
Paying Jackson $72,000+ a year for working a minimal amount of hours, along
with his health insurance and benefits costs the taxpayers over $100,000 a
year. It is time Jackson
was paid for only the hours he works on actual Magistrate duties –duties that
are now being done by others in the Clerk’s office.
The Writ was filed 1/3/08 at
11:00AM; the first hearing will be 1/8/08 at 9:00AM. Everyone should be interested in how the Judge rules on this
Writ. TWG has copies of Georgia Appellate Court cases that have
determined such things as what is “full time” and if a Magistrate is violating
Canons of Law.
Voters
should be shocked at the attitudes and actions of Jordan and
Jackson. Jordan and Jackson only serve for 4 years at a time—at the
pleasure of the voters. They both need opposition in this year’s election. Qualifying for Clerk of Court and Magistrate will be in April, a few
short weeks away.
