DEKALB COUNTY, Ga — A Decatur municipal court judge has resigned after jailing a woman for perjury, saying she’d lied about a traffic ticket.
Judge Lindsay Jones offered his resignation to Decatur Chief Municipal Judge Rhathelia Stroud on Wednesday, Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jones had earlier told The AJC he was not stepping down.
The controversy began when Shari Hurston Tatum appeared in court Nov. 8 for a traffic ticket. She waived her right to an attorney and jury trial, but demanded a bench hearing, Jones said.
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When Tatum reappeared in court Wednesday for that hearing, Jones played video of the traffic incident and decided Tatum was guilty of blocking the intersection and further that Tatum was guilty of perjury. He sentenced her to two days in jail.
“Tatum’s perjury was characterized as misbehavior before the court, and treated as a contempt of court process, for which she was sentenced to two days in jail,” Jones said.
Tatum said she was embarrassed and ended up spending her 20th wedding anniversary in jail.
After The AJC on Thursday published an article about the incident, Jones sent a letter refuting the idea that he had resigned.
“I have not offered my resignation to Ms. Merris or the City Commission, nor have I spoken with Ms. Merris or the Commissioners as of this date relating to my judgeship,” Jones wrote on Thursday.
Cox Media Group
