From Macon, Patrick Davis provides insight into the Quitman 10 case

While the Valdosta Daily Times, WCTV, and WALB remain silent about the Quitman 10, and all you hear on local TV is the D.A. giving his opinion of the case, in faraway Macon Patrick Davis digs into more things we should be hearing.

Patrick Davis wrote yesterday for the Macon Political Buzz Examiner, Jim Crow politics on display as Brooks County absentee case proceeds

Brad Shealy, who had been the long-time chairman of the Brooks Board of Education faced the prospect of being voted out as chairman and witnessing a majority-black Brooks County Board of Education for the first time ever.

Shealy lost his position when new leadership was elected in January 2011.

Shealy's day job is the assistant district attorney under J. David Miller who originally started the investigation back in the late summer of 2010.

Excuse me? The former Brooks County school board chairman works for the D.A.'s office? And the D.A. is going on TV for pre-trial propaganda in the case?

Patrick Davis asks the obvious question:

Is this classic retribution politics and prosecutorial misconduct?

This connection between Shealy and Miller deserves more scrutiny from the public and possibly federal authorities, but local media in Valdosta and Albany have stayed away for now.

However, Shealy is poised to reclaim his former chairman seat in early 2012 with the help of the Mullholland's indictment and the power of Governor Nathan Deal to remove officials who are under indictment.

What could possibly go wrong?

-jsq

Comments

[Barbara Stratton]

Requiring voter ID is not discriminatory. Anyone who can not arrange to get a free state furnished picture ID is either in this country illegally or not smart enough to vote anyway. It has nothing to do with race. I have trained to register voters & requiring an ID is not enforced when registering because it is up to the voter registration office to verify registration information & picture ID's are required at the polls. This is already a law in Georgia & has been for as long as I can remember. Voting is a right, but doing our part to insure every vote is legal is part of the priviledge of being a citizen. Acquiring a free picture ID is a very small part to play to insure legal elections & should be willingly acceptable by any legal citizen.

[Fannie Jackson]

Good morning and excuse me. I have not had my first cup of coffee yet, so maybe I missed something here. The issue is NOT voter ID. What we have here is a well-orchestrated VOTER REGISTRATION that has been ongoing for the past TEN years. Bottom line is Black people got out and voted and the SADDEST thing is: MOST OF US DO NOT VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN!!But, the DEVIL made this into a black-white issue and USED his POWER to decimate a peaceful, GOD FEARING and ALL PEOPLE loving community. And used his POWER through INTIMIDATION to prevent the LAWFUL exercise of the right to VOTE. Yes. This is a painful situation for us in BROOKS, but it is REAL. IT IS TRUE.

[Barbara Stratton]

The comments on voter ID were reference the Patrick Davis referenced article where he stated that voter ID requirements are discriminatory. I have no comments on the Brooks County issue because I feel the court system will determine those issues.

[Fannie Jackson]

Yes! God's court. And, I am at peace that it may not come in my lifetime. I know innocent people have been and are being crucified and I know this is hard for you to believe or even understand. So, I will not even try. Happy New Year and God bless you, me, America and Brooks.