Posted on 09/20/2007 4:29:27 PM PDT by decimon
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. -- A Barrow County woman says an off-duty deputy handcuffed and had her strip-searched because of a simple dispute over a power line.
“My life has never been the same since. I’m having a very hard time with it,” said Sue Worley.
A farm in Hoschton in Barrow County has been home to 60-year-old Worley all her life.
Late last year, a letter from the Georgia Transmission Corporation told her a 230 Kilovolt power line was going to go through her property. When surveyors showed up, Worley said she went down the road to talk. She said she didn’t threaten anyone, but the Barrow County deputy working with the surveyors didn’t see it that way -- the deputy called for backup.
“I saw two sheriff’s cars drive up,” said Worley. She was handcuffed, arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
“I was in the car and I went all the way to the jail handcuffed,” she said. Worley was booked into the jail, patted down and strip searched.
“She sprayed me down with lice spray. It was so humiliating,” Worley said. “They made a criminal out of me.”
The charges were dropped, but Worley and her lawyer are suing the Georgia Transmission Company.
“It’s just pure, old-fashioned intimidation. They want people’s land and they don’t want to pay for it,” said Worley's lawyer, Don Evans. “They’re going to set their power poles wherever they want and if anybody gives them any lip, they’ll put you in jail.”
She and her lawyer said they’re suing, not just for her, but for other Georgians facing the threat of eminent domain and what they see as loss of property rights.
“I just don’t see how this could happen in a land of freedom, but we don’t have freedom anymore because people can just do anything they want to,” said Worley.
Project H.O.P.E. -- Homeowners Opposing Power Line Encroachment -- said Worley's case shows the need for the governor and legislature to draw stronger citizen-friendly laws to prevent what it calls, "preferential treatment," for power companies.
A spokesperson for the Georgia Transmission Corporation told Channel 2 they had hired a deputy because they'd had some subtle threats from other residents in the area.
Right now, it looks like the power line will go up either late next year or in early 2009.
For a few businesses such as those that have a "natural" monopoly like electric and water I personally favor the co-op business model where the customers are the stockholder-owners and all dividends are used to improve service and keep prices down.
Utilities could also be more flexible in siting their lines and pipes to accomodate the landowner,even if it is not quite the shortest route.High-voltage power lines too close to pre-existing building can cause odd shocks from the electric induced in metal fixtures or just block the owner's enjoyment of a previous view;some of these could be resolved by a different route less convenient to the road,for instance.
I have a few anecdotes:
A. The fellow who built a new home locally and went to the trouble of burying approved electrical cable from the house to the corner of his property nearest the power lines and the road;only to come home and find the utility had installed a couple of poles (one nearly in front of his entry door) because"that's the way we've always done it".
B. A particular slight curve in the road where ,as a result of numerous car wrecks,the utility pole has been replaced a dozen times in not many more years.Surely that pole ought to be replaced by one (or two) NOT in the predictable path of errant cars.
C. A natural-gas fired peak plant sited alongside a major thoroughfare (denying that land to more common retail, and using a fuel which could more efficiently heat homes or businesses directly .The plant has sat idle except for testing since its completetion several years ago,probably because it is too expensive to operate at normal rates.
Now that electric here is $65 for less than 500kwh rather than the $25 we used to pay for 1000 kwh, the incentive for alternates is stronger.
Did you make that?
“I just don’t see how this could happen in a land of freedom, but we don’t have freedom anymore because people can just do anything they want to,” said Worley.
Who knows what really happened, but could be interesting to watch...
The problem with what you are saying is that it has nothing to do with this news article or this incident.
There is a LOT missing here- wanna bet she didn’t just want to “talk”? I’m betting she was loud, abusive and yes, threatening. I’ll bet she gave the cop a bad time and resisted when he asked her to leave the workers alone. Just because she is an old lady, doesn’t mean she cannot be a true pain in the butt.
And how about that “strip search”? What did they do? Make her take her sweater off? Hand over her handbag?
There needs to be more info before we hang the cop. I live in Barrow and have had dealings with the cops out here and they are a seriously laid-back and decent bunch. The population here is booming and they are putting in new infrastructure to handle it and upgrade the services. They are NOT “grabbing land”.
My initial reaction to this story is the same as now- this old lady is a crock.
My Brother lives in Winder...thought about calling him to see what he knows about this lady and incident.
I see you wrote that land being taken without compensation is _______. Would you be happy if I take something of yours that is very important to you and out of the goodness of my heart, pay you 50% of its fair market value?. That happened to several of my neighbors. One neighbor even asked the county to buy land anywhere locally and they would trade even. The county man left in a very agitated state of mind. He knew land sold for a lot more than what was being offered. The case went to court and the county had to pay close to fair market value for the land. Of course the shysters got a large chunk of the money.
You have a true talent for reading into this what you will. We won't know the facts unless and until we do.
And how about that “strip search”? What did they do? Make her take her sweater off? Hand over her handbag?
I believe the norm is a body cavity search.
There needs to be more info before we hang the cop. I live in Barrow and have had dealings with the cops out here and they are a seriously laid-back and decent bunch. The population here is booming and they are putting in new infrastructure to handle it and upgrade the services. They are NOT “grabbing land”.
My initial reaction to this story is the same as now- this old lady is a crock.
****
I hope people don’t judge you folks should something simular happen to you- Video
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/14162266/index.html
What ever people have a right to disagree still in America I hope with out getting sprayed for lice and stripped search she is not a criminal, remeber she is a tax paying citizen.
Maybe Smoking Gun will will give the police report of what really happen?
The county sheriff is an elected office, and if the deputies are out of line, the sheriff can be out of office come the next election.
“Maybe Smoking Gun will will give the police report of what really happen?”
Barrow County posts their police reports online in pdf format. Unfortunately you have to view each one to find out what its about. There is no search feature I could find. I scrolled through a bunch but couldn’t find this specific report.
I doubt that the arresting deputy did the strip search. That is usually conducted by the jail guards.
Why did you avoid answering a drect question?
You can’t answer it honestly without compromising your agenda can you?
“He knew land sold for a lot more than what was being offered.”
How about a law saying whoever set the value would have to sell their own property at a price proportionate to the land they were grabbing.
People talk like the utilities are just there to help us. The reality is that developers virtually control city councils and utilities. In my area the developers were allowed to build a new development supporting 20,000 new houses. Of course no improvement of the infrastructure was allotted to the surrounding community. Roads and other common items are overwhelmed. Does the developer or people who moved into that community pay for the infrastructure? No, they want to raise everyone elses taxes.
Another example is a large concrete company lobbied a councilman to build a county sports complex. Of course it would require ENORMOUS amounts of concrete. The county is planning to seize private property for this as well.
Isn’t it curious that the people effected by these enormous electrical towers and other projects are never the developers or city council??
My dog got the meter reader. That’s what you get rummaging around the bushed unannounced. While he’s standing there stunned he’s yelling “what should I do, what should I do”. I said “suck it up and get back to work”. The bite didn’t even break the skin and the big sissy got out of work for the rest of the day.
Yes, see my post #82.
CASE NUMBER 2007-05-0213Georgia Code - Crimes and Offenses - Title 16, Section 16-11-39
Statute Code: 16-11-39 DISORDERLY CONDUCT -/MISD/
NARRATIVE Reporting Officer: S131 BUSH, ANDRAOn 5/2/2007, I was working an extra duty job with a surveying crew due to threats they had received the prior day from a man stating that he was not afraid to take the law into his own hands. My shift started at 0800 hours and was to end at 1800 hours.
During our time on Fleeman Road Nellie Sue Worley approached the crew and I several times. Ms. Worley repeatedly was told to leave and she proceeded to act disorderly and repeatedly returned. Ms. Worley was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct. Deputy Walker transported Ms. Worley to the Barrow County Detention Center.
(a) A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct when such person commits any of the following:Disorderly Conduct(1) Acts in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another person whereby such person is placed in reasonable fear of the safety of such person´s life, limb, or health;
(2) Acts in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another person whereby the property of such person is placed in danger of being damaged or destroyed;
(3) Without provocation, uses to or of another person in such other person´s presence, opprobrious or abusive words which by their very utterance tend to incite to an immediate breach of the peace, that is to say, words which as a matter of common knowledge and under ordinary circumstances will, when used to or of another person in such other person´s presence, naturally tend to provoke violent resentment, that is, words commonly called 'fighting words'; or
(4) Without provocation, uses obscene and vulgar or profane language in the presence of or by telephone to a person under the age of 14 years which threatens an immediate breach of the peace.
(b) Any person who commits the offense of disorderly conduct shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) This Code section shall not be deemed or construed to affect or limit the powers of counties or municipal corporations to adopt ordinances or resolutions prohibiting disorderly conduct within their respective limits.
Disorderly conduct is a term which is used to describe numerous behaviors which are illegal, and in many cases the bothersome activities and conduct are decided upon by each state independently. Some examples of disorderly conduct may include being drunk in public and loitering, and O.C.G.A. § 16-11-39 (3) states that "(3) Without provocation, uses to or of another person in such other person´s presence, opprobrious or abusive words which by their very utterance tend to incite to an immediate breach of the peace, that is to say, words which as a matter of common knowledge and under ordinary circumstances will, when used to or of another person in such other person´s presence, naturally tend to provoke violent resentment, that is, words commonly called 'fighting words';"
Yup. I'm sure that most if not all of us have had our lesser moments. I guess I'd have...ohh...a few arrests on my record for my lesser moments.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.