A thick docket of cases will be awaiting the June term Lamar County grand jury when they report for duty at the courthouse June 8 at 8:30 a.m. Generally, fewer than half those cases on the docket are indicted. Many are carried forward to the next term. Some are dismissed. The highest profile case on next week’s long list is that of Ward 3 Barnesville city councilman Sammie Shropshire who faces one count of sexual battery. Shropshire surrendered Dec. 29, 2014, shortly after then chief magistrate William Thomas signed an arrest warrant for two GBI agents working the case. The charges arose out of allegations that Shropshire, 63, made unwanted advances toward a female nursing assistant at Heritage Inn and touched her inappropriately. Shropshire was elected to the council in 2004 and is a former mayor pro tem. Also on the docket are charges against Morgan Corley, a man National Geographic once called the ‘largest (volume) meth dealer in the south’. Corley, who did two stints in state prison, allegedly led officers on a wild, high speed chase through downtown Barnesville. The chase ended on Silver Dollar Road when Corley wrecked a high-performance, custom Camaro. Corley is charged with possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude and speeding. Other cases of interest on the docket include: Christopher Bernard Freeman, bigamy. Cornelius Walker, attempted murder or threatening witnesses and influencing witnesses. Cleamon Dan Wiley, 10 counts sexual exploitation of children. Harvey Lee Cook, statutory rape and child molestation. William Hester, two counts sexual exploitation of children, child molestation and aggravated child molestation. Christopher Randolph Parks, two counts sexual exploitation of children. The grand jury docket is published in full on page 4B of the 6.2.15 print edition of The Herald Gazette.
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