ATLANTA — Lawyers for a prominent Atlanta judge called upon the governor Thursday to suspend a central Georgia sheriff accused of groping her.
Bleckley County Sheriff Kristopher Coody is facing a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery for allegedly groping Judge Glenda Hatchett at an event.
Her attorneys point out Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill after he was charged with violating inmates’ civil rights. Now they want Kemp to suspend Coody, as he faces these accusations by Judge Hatchett.
CK Hoffler, chair of the Rainbow Push Coalition Board, knows that certain sexist and racist perspectives can "often take the form of extreme violation." The group of attorneys, activists and community leaders gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to call on Kemp to suspend Sheriff Coody.
“Sheriff Coody admitted his outrageous and offensive conduct towards Judge Hatchett," Hoffler said. "Witnesses corroborated Judge Hatchett’s account of the groping incident."
Judge Hatchett, who had a nationally-syndicated show and once served as the presiding judge on Fulton County’s juvenile court, alleges Coody groped her in January at an event in metro Atlanta.
“Certain behaviors are off limits," Muwuli Davis, Judge Hatchett's lawyer said. "We have to set a bar, and we cannot allow any political affiliation to prevent us from ensuring that justice is in fact realized."
Hoffler noted that there needs to be a precedent set in order to create accountability. She said that violence occurs too often against women and that it's something that has to be stopped throughout the country.
Those at the press conference hope the case can set a precedent for suspending Georgia sheriffs in the future.
“I think that the disparity by treating different sheriffs differently sends the wrong message," Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs said. "In this case, any time a sheriff is charged with the violation of the law, they can also be charged in violation of oath of office."
Gov. Kemp's office tells 11Alive he's not going to suspend Sheriff Coody since his case is still working its way through the legal system. They also point out he's charged with a misdemeanor, while Sheriff Hill is charged with several federal charges.
Sheriff Coody is currently going through plea negotiations with the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.