Criminal Justice
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Georgia State Elections Could Impact Foster Care, Mental Health
The American Academy of Pediatrics considers mental health as the “largest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care.” When looking at the prison population in the United States, or even the population that are homeless, you’ll find thousands have something in common: They were children in the…
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Shelter-in-Place Due To Coronavirus Causes Decreasing Crime Rates in Oconee County
COVID-19 has caused a lot of problems, but one result that’s not so bad — a reduction in crime rates in at least one Northeast Georgia county. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Department said they take quarantines and safety seriously. They are expected to use all of the safety procedures recommended…
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Athens’ Bar Owner Arrested on Sexual Assault Has Been Assigned Superior Court Judge
Grady Newsource learned moments ago that an Athens man charged with rape and other charges has been assigned a Superior Court judge so that a court date for his bond hearing can be set. David Ellis Ippisch, 38, was arrested yesterday at approximately 8:15 p.m., and charged with two misdemeanor…
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Officer-Involved Shootings Lead to Updated Policy for Athens-Clarke County Police
Athens has seen six officer-involved shootings this year, five of which have been fatal. Now, Athens-Clarke County Police Department is responding with changes to their policies regarding armed persons or alleged domestic violence calls where an individual reportedly has a weapon. Moving forward, the department’s updated policy is that responding…
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Former Escaped Oconee County Jail Inmate is Now Parole Eligible
A larger discussion of parole for inmates serving life sentences began recently in response to a text post on the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page about Aaron Wright’s parole eligibility last Thursday. For background, most inmates become eligible for parole after serving at least one-third of their prison sentence.…
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Accountability in ACCPD: Police Complaints Go Through Specific Process
In 2017, two out of 46 total police complaints made against Athens-Clarke County Police Department received disciplinary action, according to an investigation of over 100 complaints. In 2018, a similar number of complaints received disciplinary action. Complaints in Athens go to the department’s Office of Professional Standards and Recruitment, where…
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Criminal Cases in Athens: An Examination of Public Defenders Versus Hired Attorneys
Defendants, with their friends, family and attorneys, slowly filed into Judge Lawton Stephens’ courtroom in the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse for an arraignment on the morning of April 5, 2019. Low chatter filled the room as the crowd waited for Stephens to arrive, attorneys streaming in and out of the courtroom.…
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The Changing Fight Against Property Crime in Athens
Imagine how weirded out you would feel if you left your home for a week, and came back to find out a stranger had been sleeping in your bed. “Weirded out” is probably the bare minimum reaction to such an invasion. Mary Kate Donahue and Lauren Linkowski used words like…
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Local Organization Aims to Help Those with Substance Abuse Issues
The National Association of Drug Use and Health estimates that more than 19 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder or drug addiction. Many of these people have been to jail or are currently incarcerated. There are organizations in Athens that help treat people struggling with substance abuse. The…
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Another Reason to Love Parks in Athens: They Help Reduce Crime
With many reasons to love parks and green spaces, reducing criminal activity can be added to that list. A 2015 study from the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that “well-designed landscaping makes spending time outdoors more appealing, leading to more “eyes on the street,” which in turn leads…