December 6, 2006
I-TEAM
BACK AGAIN—TV SEGMENT EXPECTED TONIGHT
A call from a citizen that was in the Courthouse yesterday
afternoon said Dale Russell from the I-Team was back and
he was interviewing Comm. Bernard and Judge Ken Jackson.
At 3:00 PM the Judge was still in his office because there
was no basketball practice yesterday—the JV Games started
at 4PM.
Under the term
of Bennett, Wyatt, Crow, Pennamon, and Hill, Judge Jackson
was given a $20,000 supplement on
top of his salary. According to information provided by
the Clerk of Court, Dan Jordan, Judge “Coach” Jackson has
been coaching and doing “private practice law work” for
over 5 years. The letter requesting the supplement obtained
by the TWG under Open Records shows that the
Judge promises to have MORE of a presence in the County
if he gets this supplement. He also promises
a variety of other things that have not materialized. He
certainly hasn’t had more of a presence in the County.
The
BOC voted on Monday to require Judge Coach Jackson to verify
his hours in order to be paid. If he does not do this, the
BOC will turn the matter over to JQC (Judicial Qualifications
Commission.) TWG has presented some questions
to the BOC about this vote after the meeting:
1. How long will they give Judge Ken Jackson to verify his
hours? By the next pay check or 5 months like it took him
to answer and decline their last request?
2. Nothing was said about allowing the Judge to practice
law during the same hours he is "full time judge."
Will they let that continue?
3. Are they going to allow him to be paid as Juvenile Defender
in Jasper County while being Magistrate Judge at the same
time? This is truly double dipping.
4. Judge Ken Jackson SAYS he is full time. When was the
position made full time? There is nothing in the minutes
that says he is after reading the minutes from the time
he was appointed (September 1997) through 2004. When he
was appointed, the Magistrate job was part time. Just because
he was elected doesn't make him full time—there are plenty
of part time Magistrates that are elected in counties much
larger than Jasper. The law states he has to work 40 hours
a week or more to be full time.
5. How long must Judge Jackson verify his hours and will
he paid by the hour or maintain his salary?
Either
tonight (Wed, 12/6/06) or Thursday (12/7/06) the new interviews
are supposed to air on Fox 5 Atlanta at 6:00PM and 10:00PM.
Be sure to tune in!
Meanwhile, contact
Rep. Jim Cole (jmalcolmcole@hotmail.com),
Senator Johnny Grant (sengrant@alltel.net),
and your Commissioners (see www.taxdogs.com)
about this.
Rep. Cole and Sen. Grant can introduce legislation to make
the Magistrate job a part time job and to have the law rewritten
to clarify what is full time and when Judges can practice
law. (Superior Court judges and others cannot practice law
while serving.) Your involvement by calling these
people that are in the position to do something will make
a difference.
TWG
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Mission
Statement:
** To keep the taxpayers of Jasper County, Georgia informed
as to where and how their tax dollars are being spent.
** To keep the taxpayers abreast of local policies and
laws being discussed and enacted.
** We advocate more open government, less government spending,
and lower property taxes.
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