MACON, Ga. — We could soon know the fate of Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody who is accused of groping a metro-Atlanta T.V. judge last year.
Coody is accused of groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett at a hotel bar in Cobb County. There was a state sheriff’s convention happening at the hotel. Now, Coody is facing misdemeanor sexual battery charges.
According to court officials, Coody is scheduled to appear before Cobb State Court Judge Carl Bowers Monday morning.
There, he could enter a plea deal, according to a court filing from Cobb County’s Assistant Solicitor General Lindsay Chancellor.
According to court documents, they say that the Aug. 21 court appearance is a “special set plea hearing.” But if they don't reach a deal, they might have to take the case to trial.
Coody was supposed to appear in court June 22. But his lawyer, Joel Pugh, asked for a status change because of a heavy caseload.
Now, the case is up again.
Coody faces a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery, and the case could go to trial this month if they don't reach a deal Monday. In fact, according to court documents, the prosecution is pushing for the trial to start Aug. 28, only a week after the scheduled plea hearing.
“I’m hopeful that everything goes according to plan,” Cobb County Solicitor Gen. Makia Metzger said.
If Coody were to accept a plea deal, he would have to appear in court, according to Metzger.
Chancellor says in the court filing that they have reached out to all of the witnesses in the case, including a number of “out of town witnesses," and they have confirmed their availability.
We reached out to Pugh to see whether they'll reach a deal Monday. They have not responded.
Back in June, Pugh says they're prepared to go to trial if they can't work things out with the state, but he does not believe they'll drop the charges.
Then in July, the Cochran-Bleckley NAACP called on Gov. Brian Kemp to suspend Coody due to the sexual battery charges back in July.
"They're treating him like he's above the law," Gwenette Westbrook, district coordinator for the NAACP in Georgia, said.
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