Worthy motions denied!

In a severe blow to his defense, motions filed by Morehouse College police chief Vernon Worthy in Lamar County superior court have been denied by Judge Tommy Wilson.Judge Wilson’s orders were filed today in Lamar County superior court.Specifically, Wilson ruled no racial group was underrepresented in the grand and traverse jury pools and that Worthy was not acting as a police officer at the time the incident that resulted in warrants against him occurred. Two motions to quash his indictment on those grounds were denied.The judge also threw out a motion for abatement challenging the status of Lamar’s jury commission.The Worthy legal team had put great emphasis on its motions in an apparent attempt to avoid a trial showdown in the Lamar courtroom with the victim in the case, Nathaniel Rooks.The incident occurred Nov. 11, 2008 when Rooks and Worthy crossed paths on land Rooks claimed he had permission to hunt.At the Nov. 24 preliminary hearing, Rooks testified he was in a deer stand when he saw someone enter the field. He said he climbed down from his stand, took off a camouflage mask, slung his deer rifle over his shoulder and approached the man he later learned was Worthy.Worthy then pulled a pistol on Rooks and ordered him to lie face down on the grass. He also forced Rooks at gunpoint to roll away from his rifle and toss away his cell phone, Rooks testified.”He told me ‘I will blow your (expletive deleted) brains out if you try anything’,” Rooks said. He added that he feared for his life and started praying aloud only to hear Worthy say, “God is the only (expletive deleted) who can help you right now”.A sheriff’s deputy and DNR Ranger Keith Page arrived at the scene. The deputy testified he saw Rooks face down on the grass. Page said Worthy argued Rooks was trespassing but noted his investigation revealed that is was Worthy who was on the property illegally.Page took serious issue with Worthy pulling a weapon on Rooks.”There was no reason for a gun to be pointed at Rooks. I’ve approached hundreds of deer hunters and have never had to pull my sidearm,” Page testified.Law enforcement declined to charge Worthy so Rooks brought the charges personally. Worthy was bound over to superior court on the charges for which he was indicted. Additional charges of terroristic threats and acts, kidnapping and impersonating a police officer were dropped at a preliminary hearing.