Georgia criminal lawyer gets conviction against Crawford County commissioner reversed on appeal
The former chairman of the Crawford County Commission, Harry Spillers, was indicted in 2005 for false swearing of which he was ultimately convicted and removed from office. However, the Court of Appeals of Georgia reversed Spillers’ conviction for false swearing last week.
The Macon Telegraph has the story.
The conviction and controversy centered on whether Spillers knowingly lied in 2004 on a form which he was required to fill out in order to hold office in Georgia. Specifically, the form asked if he had ever been convicted of a felony. Spillers stated that he had not been convicted of a felony even though he pleaded nolo contendere to the charge of aggravated assault in 1986.
In last week’s ruling, the Court of Appeals found that he was never formally convicted of the aggravated assault charge, since he only pleaded nolo contendere. Thus, he was still eligible to hold office after pleading nolo contendere and did not lie in the 2004 statement.
Prosecutors are now considering whether to appeal the case. They may also bring additional charges against Spillers. Prosecutors say Spillers used county labor for personal use during his time as commissioner.
Pate & Brody is an accomplished Georgia law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon and Madison. Our lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice for people charged with serious crimes. We have successfully represented clients facing serious federal criminal charges and state criminal charges in courts across Georgia. Our lawyers have been recognized on the list of Georgia's "Super Lawyers", and included among Georgia's "Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine. Page Pate was recently the Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association.
