DA Mum on Whether Smith Case Will Go to Grand Jury Next Week

Northern Judicial District Attorney Parks White is not saying whether he plans to present his case against former Hart County Probate Judge Bob Smith.

Smith was arrested in May and charged with one count of misdemeanor simple battery and one count of misdemeanor attempt to commit sexual battery after a woman who came to him for help with a parking told authorities Smith allegedly fondled and kissed her against her will. who had come to him for help with a parking ticket.

In August, White did not present his case as expected because he said agents with the GBI had not finished their investigation.

However, WLHR News has learned their investigation is now concluded and the results turned over to the DA’s office.

When contacted by WLHR News this week, White would not comment on the Smith case.

The Grand Jury is reconvening next week to interview the four candidates for the Hart County Board of Elections.

After that, the next Grand Jury is not expected to convene until possibly February of 2015.  Prior to the last Grand Jury, Smith’s attorneys lobbied via press releases and radio programs on a local Hartwell station for their client to be allowed to speak on his own behalf to the Grand Jury.

Smith’s attorney Tim Healy said in that press release his client’s request to speak at this week’s grand jury hearing was denied by District Attorney Parks White.

In a press release, Healy stated his client is a constitutional officer and under Georgia law, is therefore entitled to speak at a grand jury hearing.

But White said that law only applies to Constitutional officers who are still in office and Smith had resigned July 23rd – one day before he was to appear before a State Judicial Qualifications hearing in State Court.