Transcription
All rise. Superior Court of Fton County, Atlanta Judicial Circuit is now in session. The Honorable Judge Glennville is presiding. Court will now come to order.
All right. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated.
All right. Good morning, councils, interested parties. We're here on the record in the matter of the state of Georgia versus Robert Aaron Long in 21 SC177839. Um we're here for um status this morning. Um good morning m good good morning Mr. Aati. Good morning Miss Bell and good morning Mr. Long. Um as a matter of first matter of housekeeping I need to account for some uh new parties in the court's team. Um, I now have with me uh my official court reporter, Christina Weaver. Um, Miss Danielle Parker is um accepted new employment uh from my colleagues in Clayton County and so Christina has uh rejoined us. So she is the official court reporter for this particular matter. Um, so just as a matter of housekeeping, just want to take care of that. Um, the last time we were here, what date was that, council? Can you refresh my memory?
That was in January, your honor.
Hold on. I'm going. Yeah, I'll take I'm going take a look right now. It would have been um Monday, January 20 uh January 12th and Tuesday, January 13th.
Yes, your honor.
All right. If that's my calendar seems to indicate and I believe at that time or you indicated or believe your former colleague, Mr. Lamar indicated he accepted he had accepted new employment and um that you were going to be the sole um capital qualified defender at that point in time, but you were attempting to get another um capital defender so we can continue forward with these proceedings. Is that correct?
That's correct. So, can you tell me a little bit about, you know, personnel or or um any updates to that?
Um, so unfortunately in personnel wise, we've um actually lost a couple more people from the office since January um attorneys since January. Um we don't have someone um as of now on the case, but if I could approach your honor um with Mr. There is some information I'd like to give you about where I think we're going to go in terms of um in terms of retain and getting second council on this case. Um there is a plan to have second council on this case as soon as possible.
Okay. Um Mr. Body, is this something you've had discussions with Miss Bell about?
All right. Is it something that um Miss Bell that you have give I even though I have to take it down I'm um you just wanted to have a bench conference for me to do that.
Yes.
Okay. All right. You all can approach. Mr. Long, are you okay with that? Um are you waving your otherwise your right to be present? Your your attorney is going to tell you what happened, but um are you are you okay with that, sir?
Okay. All right.
I spoke to him last night.
All right. Come on up. recap some of this as as uh as best I can without throwing anybody else. Okay. All right. Okay. Um, the courts had a bench conference with uh with Mr. Body and Miss Bell and Mr. Long. Um, it the whole conversation's been recorded, so you'll have a chance to review the transcript of our exact conversation and Miss Bell can also tell you exactly what we talked about. Um, but as soon as this particular portion has been transcribed, we'll make sure you get a copy. Okay. All right. Um basically in short, and I'm just summarizing our conversations with uh with council at the bench here is that there seems to be some challenges in terms of scheduling or assignment andor assignment of capitol qualified council for Mr. Long's case. Um, under the current requirements, two capital death qualified council are required to be assigned to a uh a case where the death penalty is sought. So, in this respect, since Mr. Lamar has has left in January and um I take it from um from Miss Bell that we you have not had yeah another another council hired or andor assigned um that we're kind of at a impass at this point in time. Is that would that be a fair statement?
Yes, your honor.
Okay. and what and I know you were trying to be a consumate professional about um where you are and the challenges of assignment but I can't do anything or this court can't do anything until we have two qualified counsel to represent Mr. Long. Um, I can't even have the next status for us to see if there's anything left. So, this matter, you know, the the appellet the case can be put in an appellet posture at least for the reviewing court to determine whether or not we're in a position to try the matter. So, what I am going to do um is I am going to schedule a conference on Monday, June the 1st uh for 10 o'clock. I will uh notice or summon Mr. Nathaniel Sadeski from your office from the capital offenders office who's now the director. Um Miss Natalie Glazier who's the current general counsel. Um Miss Al Tai Ali who's the current executive po uh director of GBCC and our Fulton County public defender Mr. Moraurice Kennor um to see or get their input as to who's going to be assigned when and where. Um, I of course that's not the court's purview, but my interest is to make sure that the case moves. It seems like we February, March, April, May, we're almost at June. We got four months and nothing's occurred. Um, I don't think that says what sits well for any of us. And, uh, this case is what, 5 years old now at this point in time. So, is that correct, Mr. Body? So, I think that we need to kind of finish so the case can go whatever whatever direction it goes, but at least it needs to be re reviewed from an appellet standpoint to see if we're in a position to even try it. And I know as we've had some challenges finishing up that, but I think we're at a point where that at least the last portion of the review can occur. Um, so without counsel, I can't do that yet. So, Monday, June the 1st, 10:00 a.m., um, if you could stick around and provide the information that we'll need to contact the individuals that I've just mentioned on the record, um, I would be greatly appreciative.
But unless you all have anything else, um, we'll see you all on Monday, June the 1st at 10 a.m. Okay. Yes, sir.
Okay. All right. We're in recess.