Georgia House speaker accused of delaying court for clients (Atlanta: appointed, crimes)

[Airforceguy]

Not a good look for the speaker of the house...

House Speaker David Ralston asked judges to reschedule court cases at least 57 times in the past two years, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV reported. Clients of Ralston’s private law practice who benefited from the delays included men charged with child molestation, assault and drunken driving.

“That’s why I gave him $20,000 bucks,” Ralston client David Shell told the newspaper. “He’s worth every penny of it.”

Shell hired Ralston after being charged with aggravated assault. A girlfriend accused him of head-butting her and biting her finger. Court records show Shell had previously been charged with beating two other women. A grand jury indicted him in the latest case more than four years ago, but Shell remains free after Ralston got proceedings delayed seven times.

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/201...-for-clients/1

[Forhall]

Republicans acting unethically for money? Oh no, let me clutch my pearls. I assumed that was the norm.

[atler8]

And as has largely been typical in the past, Atlanta city-data members seem to exhibit a curious lack of concern over apparent corruption issues whether they be under our gold dome or in the local business community.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Not a good look for the speaker of the house...

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/201...-for-clients/1

Originally Posted by atler8

And as has largely been typical in the past, Atlanta city-data members seem to exhibit a curious lack of concern over apparent corruption issues whether they be under our gold dome or in the local business community.

I agree with Airforceguy's assessment that the court delays described in news reports in recent days are definitely not a good look for Georgia House Speaker David Ralston.

BUT... Many onlookers (including here in the Atlanta forum of the City-Data site; in the larger metro Atlanta, North Georgia business communities; in the larger communities of metro Atlanta and Georgia political observers; in the Georgia electorate at large, etc.) will most likely be very hesitant to make much hay about Ralston's alleged actions as a criminal defense attorney in his hometown of Blue Ridge in the North Georgia Mountains.

That is because of David Ralston's governing record of being a moderate political leader who has helped to keep the state of Georgia out of many of the type of the most harmful social controversies that could do severe damage to the state's national and international image and reputation as one of the top places on the globe to do business.

In addition to Ralston's presence as a moderating influence in what can often be a governing environment that is attracted to extremes, many people might also be hesitant to give Ralston too much flack for his actions to delay court dates on behalf of his criminal clients because of how Ralston has also been a very stabilizing influence in what can often be a governing environment that is prone to extreme bouts of volatility and lack of focus.

… That is particularly after the extreme volatility of previous Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson whose often-stormy and extremely debaucherous tenure as Speaker (during which he often seemed to display symptoms of manic depression and mid-life crisis) ended in scandal after he attempted to commit suicide after his wife divorced him after catching him having an affair with a female lobbyist for Atlanta Gas Light.

For many metro Atlantans and Georgians, there just simply are not too many good options for leading the Georgia House of Representatives after the relatively very moderate David Ralston, who often has been dogged about keeping the state of Georgia out of the type of severely economically damaging social controversies that have engulfed states like Indiana and North Carolina in recent years.

Because of his record of relative moderation in governing in a political environment tilted heavily in favor of social conservatives, Ralston likely will get a pass from many onlookers on this ethical controversy.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by atler8

And as has largely been typical in the past, Atlanta city-data members seem to exhibit a curious lack of concern over apparent corruption issues whether they be under our gold dome or in the local business community.

This has been going on for 200 years. And it happens in other states. Every legislator who is an attorney takes advantage of this. Does Ralston take excessive advantage of it? Who knows? But this is pretty low on the "corruption scale" of things government does.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Republicans acting unethically for money? Oh no, let me clutch my pearls. I assumed that was the norm.

Though I agree with you, I think it's dangerous to to just point at one side. Both sides are looking out for corporate America and totally ignoring the gutting of the poor/middle class.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by atler8

And as has largely been typical in the past, Atlanta city-data members seem to exhibit a curious lack of concern over apparent corruption issues whether they be under our gold dome or in the local business community.

I agree. I've been really busy lately but checked the forum a few times to see if and when this thread would get a response and was disappointed at how long it took and how few responded.



While this congressman can hit women and still keep his job (we need to acknowledge this wealth/race privilege), you have people (black/poor, etc.) being locked up because of a racist war on drugs. Their crimes are non-violent and they will get records and be shunned, while this b****** gets to continue on with his life.



This has to STOP! Our criminal justice system needs some serious fixing. We can't move on to better things as a society if we are upholding racist laws/penalizing only poor people. It's so evil. I wish people would get angry and demand change.

[DreamerD]

Whoa! I totally read this article wrong. It's even worse than I thought it was. It shouldn't be "beyond me" why this politician is allowed to do these things because our country perpetuates these kind of evil privileges. This is a serious conflict of interest and it's crazy that he isn't facing prison time for obstruction of justice. I mean years upon years?! I'm pretty sure some of the defendants got off because maybe they argued they aren't getting a speedy trial.



And then one of the defendants paid him $20,000 and said he's worth every penny? Again, justice is only for the rich/wealthy in this country. PLEASE people get mad and advocate for change. You may not be affected but I'm pretty sure you know someone (even if not personally) who isn't rich/wealthy and has been a victim/survivor of this two-tiered justice system we have.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Whoa! I totally read this article wrong. It's even worse than I thought it was. It shouldn't be "beyond me" why this politician is allowed to do these things because our country perpetuates these kind of evil privileges. This is a serious conflict of interest and it's crazy that he isn't facing prison time for obstruction of justice. I mean years upon years?! I'm pretty sure some of the defendants got off because maybe they argued they aren't getting a speedy trial.



And then one of the defendants paid him $20,000 and said he's worth every penny? Again, justice is only for the rich/wealthy in this country. PLEASE people get mad and advocate for change. You may not be affected but I'm pretty sure you know someone (even if not personally) who isn't rich/wealthy and has been a victim/survivor of this two-tiered justice system we have.

Georgia state law expressly allows a politicians like David Ralston to continuously delay their court cases while they are serving in public office as state legislators.

And with so many state legislators also being lawyers with their own full-time private law practices, that particular state law that allows a politician and state legislator like David Ralston to make these kinds of court maneuvers on behalf of their criminal defense clients is not likely to be changed anytime soon, if ever.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by bu2

This has been going on for 200 years. And it happens in other states. Every legislator who is an attorney takes advantage of this. Does Ralston take excessive advantage of it? Who knows? But this is pretty low on the "corruption scale" of things government does.

???
That's your best shot at a reaction?

I personally don't care that, "...it's been going on for 200 years". (If that's even a fact.)
I don't care if it "...happens in other states."
And I don't care if, "Every legislator who is an attorney takes advantage of this."
This is not a thing that "government does" either but rather it's a thing that a PERSON does!

The thrust of the article is that Ralston has & does take EXCESSIVE advantage of his CLIENTS in what seems to be an abuse of his role as a legislator (Speaker of the Georgia House no less). And he also abuses the trust placed in him by HIS CLIENTS in doing so.
If he has excessively abused the law &/or the precepts & ethics of the Attorney & Client relationship via these well-documented practices, I do not care if Ralston is a Republican Speaker of the House, nor would I care if he were a Democratic Speaker of the House. It's just plain out WRONG!

Pardon my use of capital letters so as to emphasize points here but this whole nonsense in addressing issues that uses the "both sides do it" deflective line really sticks in my craw. It's an absolute abdication of the concept of "personal responsibility".

In conclusion I have to say that I question whether or not you would be so charitably inclined so as to offer such a weak line of defense if the accused were a Democratic politician. Could it be the "R" associated with Ralston's politics that has you offering up this deflective, defensive effort on his part?