SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015 • 5A
gwinnettdailypost.com
BOC not likely to revisit animal ordinance soon By Curt Yeomans
be any changes before it goes into effect,” Commissioner Tommy Hunter said. “We did ask them to go and DACULA — Gwinnett review some other ordinancCounty officials are looking es, I think one of them was into how counties across in Florida, just to see how the Southeast are handling they addressed it. animal control laws a week “Animal Control, under after commissioners adopted [director] Chip Moore, controversial changes to dictated the new setup so it their own ordinance. would eliminate the problem Just don’t look at it at as of dogs getting wrapped a sign that commissioners up around something, not are planning to change their having access to food (or) stance on animal tethergetting hung by the collar,” ing, according to one of the he added. county’s elected leaders. The Hunter spoke about the changes that have already ordinance after a resident been approved are not set to who lives in his district go into effect until July 1. questioned whether the issue “I don’t think there will could be revisited during a
curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com
town hall forum on Thursday. Several residents have expressed opposition on www.gwinnettdailypost.com to the animal control ordinance that was passed by the commission on March 17 because it included a lastminute change on the issue of dog tethering. The original policy proposal included an outright ban on unsupervised tethering. The ban was dropped when the policy came up for a vote last week. In its place was a passage that allowed tethering during the day, but only on a trolley system. Dacula resident Jennifer Summers was the only resident who addressed com-
missioners about the policy change at the forum. She spoke against the tethering switch and asked if a public meeting could be held to talk about the adopted policy. “I think we all know a lot of people have voiced their opinions on it,” Summers said. “Certainly no disrespect, because you guys do a very hard job, but I am one among many who are very disappointed in the ordinance and I certainly urge you guys to reconsider it.” Hunter said the commission wasn’t able to create an ordinance that would appease everyone on the animal control issue. His stance is that he and his fel-
low commissioners needed to consider every resident in the county when they decided on what changes should be made to the ordinance. “We’ve got to work for 900,000 people,” he said. “There’s not an ordinance we can write where somebody’s not going to be disappointed. We’ve got to look at the county broadly. We can’t split it up and say ‘Out here in Dacula, where it’s country, boys have bird dogs that they tie up and that sort of stuff. Well, you can do it, but Norcross can’t.’” Hunter said the main issues that needed to be addressed in the ordinance were matters of neglect,
such as dogs being left outdoors with no access to food and water and choking because their leash got wrapped around a pole or tree. “Neglect is what they’re looking for and tethering doesn’t qualify as neglect,” Hunter said. The commissioner pointed out the revised ordinance was passed by a 4-1 vote, with only Commissioner John Heard in opposition. “We think we got to where we need to be,” Hunter said. “I don’t want to criminalize anybody for simply tying their dog up to get some sunshine and stuff like that.”
Supreme Court throws Purported ‘Vampire Diaries’ worker accused of bribing cops out DUI conviction “… (Williams) was read the proper notice under Georgia’s tyler.estep@gwinnettdailypost.com Implied Consent Law,” a press release issued by the Supreme The Georgia Supreme Court Court said. “The notice states has thrown out the DUI convic- that Georgia law requires a tion of a Gwinnett driver whose driver who is suspected of DUI blood was drawn without a to submit to state-administered search warrant. chemical tests of his ‘breath, The state’s highest court blood, urine or other bodily released its opinion Friday on substances.’ the case stemming from the “… The officer did not ask Sept. 22, 2012, arrest of John Williams if he ‘was willing to Cletus Williams, who was freely and voluntarily give a pulled over after driving errati- test,’ but merely read Williams cally on Dacula’s Indian Shoals the notice and told him it was Road. Blood tests revealed that ‘a yes or no question,’” the Williams had been under the press release added. “Williams influence of “two and a half responded, ‘Yes.’ He was then times the normal therapeutic transported to the Gwinnett range” of the prescription drug County Medical Center where Xanax, as well as oxycodone his blood was tested. No search and butalbitol. warrant was obtained.” A Gwinnett County judge In its unanimous opinion, ultimately found Williams written by Presiding Justice guilty of driving under the influ- P. Harris Hines, the Supreme ence and sentenced him to 30 Court argued that Williams did days in jail. The conviction was not provide “actual consent” to appealed, however, on the basis having his blood tested. that a search warrant was not Williams was represented by obtained for Williams’ blood. attorney Lance Tyler. By Tyler Estep
By Tyler Estep
When the officer asked if she would participate in field sobriety tests, Porter reportedly asked to An Atlanta woman who call her father. claimed to work on the “VamShe was instead pire Diaries” TV show offered a placed under arGwinnett County police officer rest and put in the “thousands of dollars” to avoid a officer’s patrol DUI arrest, authorities said. car. At about 11:20 p.m. on March En route to the 22, Gwinnett County police police departresponded to a three-vehicle crash ment’s west Chase Johnson on Interstate 85 near Beaver Ruin precinct, Porter Porter Road. Prior to the crash, authoriconceded that she ties had received reports of a Mer- deserved to be arrested, police cedes Benz “driving erratically said. over several lanes and approxi“She stated that she is an alcomately 100 miles per hour.” holic and that she drinks alcohol Following the crash — which all day while she is on set worksent passengers of one vehicle to ing for the ‘Vampire Diaries,’” the hospital with non-life threatthe arresting officer wrote in their ening injuries — a responding report. “She asked if she could officer made contact with Chase just go to rehab again even though Johnson Porter, the female driver this would be the fifth time that of the Mercedes. According to she has been to rehab.” the incident report, Porter had It was unclear if Porter did in“bloodshot and watery eyes” and deed work on “Vampire Diaries,” said she did not remember where a popular TV show filmed in the she was coming from. Atlanta area. She is not included tyler.estep@gwinnettdailypost.com
in online cast listings. Once at the precinct, Porter declined to participate in a breath test. “Unable to walk without staggering,” Porter was escorted back to the officer’s vehicle. It was there that, according to police, she made an offer. “As we continued driving and we were at the split of (Ga. Highway 316 and Interstate 85), Porter stated that she would pay me thousands of dollars if I let her go and did not arrest her,” the officer wrote. “She stated that her dad would make sure it was taken care of and that he was a very powerful man.” Porter was charged with DUI, bribery and a litany of traffic offenses, including following too closely, reckless driving, too fast for conditions and improper lane change. Jail records showed her father, Dean, has visited since her arrest — but he did not bail her out. As of Friday, she remained incarcerated in lieu of $7,788 bond.
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