Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority members gave their colleague William Fennoy what amounts to a blank check for legal fees in his case against citizen activist Woody Merry.
Authority members Bill Law, Keith Brown, Janice Jenkins, Mildred McDaniel and Booker T. Roberson voted Tuesday to continue paying Mr. Fennoy's legal bills as the case moves to Richmond County State Court, but did not specify an amount.
Jack Usry abstained. Three other members were absent.
Before the vote, Mr. Usry asked Mr. Fennoy whether he would consider shaking hands with Mr. Merry and going forward.
"I don't like to see legal fees adding up if we don't have to have them," Mr. Usry said.
The authority has already paid $3,000 to attorney Evita Paschal, who represented Mr. Fennoy in Richmond County Civil and Magistrate Court.
Mr. Merry and Mr. Fennoy were both charged with simple battery and jailed after a fight before the May 30 Coliseum Authority meeting. Each sought warrants against the other after the scuffle, which ended with Mr. Merry on the floor and Mr. Fennoy being restrained. After they were jailed and later released on $5,000 bond, they were arraigned in State Court, where they pleaded not guilty. The case is expected to come up in October.
Mr. Brown said he thought it was the authority's duty to pay Mr. Fennoy's legal bills.
"It is within our rules and regulations to pay the attorney fees," he said. "I think that it's a prudent use of the tax dollars based on the situation. And people just need to understand that coming to these meetings and causing problems will not be tolerated."
Mr. Brown said, however, that it might have been wiser for the board to vote to pay the fees for the State Court trial only or limit the amount of money.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
INCOME STATEMENT
Coliseum Authority income statement for the year ended June 30 :
OPERATING LOSS: $2,108,432
DEPRECIATION: $885,312
OPERATING LOSS BEFORE DEPRECIATION: $1,223,120
NON-OPERATING REVENUE (HOTEL-MOTEL AND BEER TAXES): $2,544,739
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS: $436,307
Comments
This is so stupid. Let them pay their own legal fees. Two grown men acting like children. And the question is asked "Why Do Our Children Act The Way They Do?" They are not examples I want my children to to identify with. These two men chose to use their fist instead of words. I do not think my tax dollars should be used to solve their problems with each other. Besides if the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority was doing their job, we would not need a WATCH DOG, right.
Close the place, it's just a tax drain and let fennoy pay his own legal fees!
Your right AmericanRose...This is so stupid. Let Mr. Fennoy pay his own legal fees just as Mr. Merry has to pay for his own. Each made the choice to act like children and duke it out....let each be responsible for their defense.
J4, if you can read this, is this right? Man, a black dude getting over on a white dude. Boy, ya' gotta love them handouts that y'all expect!
Oh, J4, Shivas, please don't at all think me racist. I just love antagonizing boneheads like you, and stir the pot for ya. Take your blinders off for once.
I've said it before and I will say it again. I don't think the taxpayer should be paying Mr. Fennoy's legal bills. However, IF it is condidered an Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority matter, why is their lawyer not representing Mr. Fennoy?
CUT OFF the $2,544,739 that they are getting from the HOTEL-MOTEL AND BEER TAXES. That money could be put to better use elsewhere.
The accusation about two of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority members having an affair was raised at one of the previous meetings. I guess that will be also be considered an Authority matter and the lawyers in that case will be paid for by the public too.
Drop the case, duke it out and get over it.
What a waste of tax payers money! We have an Authority with a steady stream of cash $2.5 millions per year, without doing a show, production or event of any kind. Shame! Shame! Shame! We would be better off putting this money in the TEE-Center!
This is why Richmond County/Augusta looks foolish and is broke. Thanks, guys. I saw this man on tv and he insisted that he didn't do anything and didn't need to apologize. Maybe he didn't start it but you're letting it go on-where's his pastor?
I guess kicking Merry in the head while he was lying on the grounds isn't doing anything. Merry has agreed to shake hands, he looks like the bigger man in the case.
Another bunch of over age thugs down there in Augusta.. Close them down...Idiots..
Who among us wants to see their tax dollars being spent to defend a marginally literate buffoon such as this?
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