Thunderbolt fires court administrator
Coastal Empire | Islands | Our Safety
Scott M. Larson | Tuesday, November 7, 2006 at 12:30 am
Pat Flynn spokesman says there was no criminal wrong doing.
Thunderbolt Court Administrator Pat Flynn was terminated after an audit found poor bookkeeping, and a separate investigation found violations of the town's code of ethics.
Town Administrator Bob Thomson fired Flynn Oct. 27.
Documents obtained Monday through a Georgia Open Records Act request show that Flynn was found to have taken gifts of a portable television and a George Foreman Contact Roaster from the Quill Corp., an office supply company.
The accounting firm of Karp Ronning & Tindol audited the municipal court's records.
It reported:
An individual was found guilty of three offenses but two of those were marked as dismissed in the court's computer software.
Two individuals in 2004 were found guilty and placed on probation but they were never processed as probationers and their fines of $735 and $1,730 were never collected.
In 2005, an individual was fined $450 and placed on court supervision. There was no record of any attempt to collect that fine.
"Numerous errors," where fines were due but not recorded on the "Outstanding Balances Report."
One person said he paid a fine but there was no record of the payment.
Thunderbolt Police investigated the gifts from the Quill Corp. It found that numerous gifts had been given to the town - from "Shrek" and "The Lion King" DVDs to DVD players, CD players and food - much of which was still being used in the office.
Thunderbolt Councilman Bobby Hardman requested the investigation of the gifts.
Flynn did not return a phone call seeking comment. However, attorney W. Dow Bonds responded for Flynn.
Bonds described himself as a spokesman for Flynn but was not representing him as an attorney, at this point. Bonds is also a pro tem judge in Thunderbolt.
"I think there is a rational explanation for every incident and none of it would rise to the level of criminal conduct," Bonds said. "If they are insinuating that there is any wrongdoing, we would categorically deny that any of it rises to the level of criminal wrong doing."
Chatham County Chief Assistant District Attorney David Lock, who was contacted by the town on this matter, said no charges against Flynn were pending.
Bonds said Flynn was not threatening a lawsuit against the town but hasn't ruled it out. Bonds said Flynn is seeking other employment.
Thomson's termination letter to Flynn also recounts two incidents from March 2005 where he responded to an accident and a buglary report with blue lights flashing on his car. That is a violation of state law.
"(Lock) also concurred that this was illegal as well as placing the town at risk from uncovered lawsuits," the termination letter states, "and that we would be without immunity, since you were operating outside the law."
Heidt attorney asks for venue change in murder trial
Posted: July 15, 2009 - 11:30pm | Updated: July 16 2009
By DeAnn Komanecky
SPRINGFIELD - An Effingham County man arrested in the shooting deaths of his father and his brother is seeking a change of venue for his trial on murder charges.
The request was one of more than two dozen motions filed Wednesday on behalf of Philip Craig Heidt, 41, who was arrested May 22 in the fatal shootings of Philip Martin Heidt, 59, and Carey Albert Heidt, 32, as well as the wounding of his mother, Linda Heidt, 59.
Craig Heidt's attorney - W. Dow Bonds, of Savannah - filed the motions in the Effingham County clerk of court's office.
The change of venue request asserts that an impartial jury cannot be seated in Effingham County, and that Heidt cannot receive a fair trial because of the "inherently prejudicial atmosphere in the community, media coverage of the case and the predisposition of the jurors, through communication, gossip and innuendo."
The motion also states the repeated dissemination of "inflammatory newscasts, news articles via newspapers, public statements by government agents and Web blogs, have misinformed, inflamed and prejudiced prospective jurors."
Heidt's attorney also filed a request that the trial judge in the case recuse himself from presiding over the matter. The motion does not specifically identify a judge, but Superior Court Judge F. Gates Peed of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit has handled court matters in the case up to now.
The motion claims Heidt's counsel has been informed the judge might have made statements to the effect that venue in the case would remain in Effingham County, and no motions on the issue would be considered.
Other motions filed include requests to suppress statements by the defendant, to suppress evidence illegally seized by law enforcement agents and challenges to the legality of the arrest because of a lack of probable cause.
Heidt further requests a "reasonable" bond be set, and that he be released from custody pending disposition of the case.
Clerk of court records show a bond hearing set for Aug. 11.
A scheduling order entered by Peed lists a Sept. 18 hearing date for all motions.
Calls to the district attorney's office and to Bonds were not immediately returned Wednesday.
