Georgia House Speaker David Ralston uses post to delay clients' criminal cases for years

[muriel_volestrangler]

So when another bruised and bloodied girlfriend told police he had flown into a rage and head-butted her and bit her finger at a camper park in Ellijay, Shell faced serious consequences. A grand jury charged him as a repeat offender, which could mean up to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault.

Yet more than four years after his indictment, Shell remains a free man, the charges against him stymied. A big reason: He paid a large retainer fee to hire an attorney who is also one of Georgia’s most powerful lawmakers, state Speaker of the House David Ralston.

Just as Ralston has done for other clients charged with violent or heinous crimes, he used his elected position to delay hearings and court dates, preventing the case from moving forward in the Gilmer County justice system.
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It’s been more than five years since a 14-year-old girl told police that a traveling evangelist who preached at her church and stayed over in her Hiawassee home raped and molested her. Ralston has put off that case in Towns County Superior Court at least eight times, citing legislative duties and sessions.

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Ralston helped write the law allowing him to delay criminal cases

Ten years ago, a grand jury indicted a Georgia man on charges of illicit sexual behavior with young teens. One of the alleged victims said it’s been so long since he heard from prosecutors, he figured the case was over with.

But it’s not. It’s among dozens of criminal cases repeatedly delayed from going to court — 14 times in this case — by defense attorney and state Speaker of the House David Ralston.
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For a century, elected lawmakers who make their living as attorneys could only cite the law to delay court while the General Assembly was in session and for three weeks after. But in 2006, lawmakers in the House and Senate passed Senate Bill 503, which expanded the privilege to cover any time a lawmaker’s “presence elsewhere is required.”

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/ralston-helped-write-the-law-allowing-him-delay-criminal-cases/fIfNKIgYXXFAAIEiC6NbAJ/