The City of Cedartown has put out a statement explaining the Municipal Court’s part in the indictment of the Paulding County District Attorney on Wednesday.
The statement said the case mentioned by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr involved a shoplifting charge stemming from a 2017 arrest of Paulding County victim advocate Jamie White for shoplifting.
According to the statement, pre-trail diversion was sought for the first-time offense for White following her arrest for shoplifting at Cedartown’s Walmart, a misdemeanor charge. The October 14, 2017 arrest came after White was spotted by Walmart employees trying to leave the store without “properly scanning all items that she possessed.”
Additionally, other items were found in her purse, according to a Cedartown Police report taken at the time.
Cedartown Municipal Court documents also confirm the disposition of the case being diverted prior to trial, including an explanation as to why White was given the chance after her first time she was arrested for shoplifting.
Rather than take the case to trial, White’s case was dismissed after she completed a Shoplifter’s Alternative Course provided by the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention. She was also required to pay a civil penalty for the cost of the items she took to Walmart before the case was dismissed.
“The disposition of this case was not unusual for a first-time shoplifting offense,” the city’s statement read. “The individual who prosecuted the case is no longer the city solicitor and has not been for several years.”
Here’s the full press release from the city:
Of note, Donovan’s business card was included in the case information without any further explanation in the notes of the file with his contact information.
Donovan was indicted on Wednesday by a Paulding County Grand Jury after the Georgia Attorney General’s office presented a case involving felonies for bribery, false statements and two counts of violation of oath of office.
He was not yet under arrest, per information from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office website.
Donovan is alleged to have tried to exert his influence with the Cedartown Municipal Court’s prosecutor when he dismissed a case in his circuit that involved a client of the former solicitor in exchange for a dismissal of White’s case.
Additionally, he made false statements per Carr’s press release on Wednesday that he lied when he denied he ever wanted to have sexual relations with White, and denied “describing fantasies regarding his desire to be physical with this employee.”
The GBI were involved in investigating allegations against Donovan that came back as indictments from the Grand Jury on Wednesday.
Check back for additional information as this story continues to develop.
