LAURENS DA RESPONDS TO LAWSUIT ALLEGATIONS

DUBLIN - District Attorney Ralph Walke fired back Thursday with a response
to a Laurens County sheriff's deputy's lawsuit accusing him of slander.

Walke held a press conference in which he read a three-page statement but
refused to answer questions regarding the suit filed Monday by Deputy Chris
Brewer. Brewer, who is assigned to the Dublin/Laurens Drug Enforcement
Unit, accused Walke of falsely claiming Brewer had committed perjury.

Though Walke did not mention Brewer specifically, he said his office has
had an ongoing problem with some members of the drug unit.

"I have long been dissatisfied with the work of certain elements within the
local drug squad," he said. "Some of the officers assigned to this unit
have not cooperated with my office in the prosecution of cases initiated by
them."

He also said drug squad conduct has led to judicial dismissal of some cases
and has caused civil actions to be filed against Laurens County.

Walke suggested that the lawsuit was related to an ongoing investigation of
the drug unit by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation related to an
unspecified incident July 9, 1999.

That day, the drug unit - along with agents of the federal Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the sheriff's office and Dublin Police
Department - raided the home of pharmacist Tommy Coleman and allegedly
confiscated thousands of prescription pills, a quantity of marijuana, more
than two dozen firearms and $180,000 in cash.

Coleman was later sentenced to prison on federal charges unrelated to the raid.

"As part of its investigation, the GBI has requested that certain law
enforcement officers submit to polygraph examinations concerning their
involvement in this incident," Walke said. "It is my understanding that
only one individual has agreed to take a lie detector test."

Walke said he has recently pressed the GBI to provide a final report on the
investigation, which he said has been delayed for two years because of the
failure of the local officers to cooperate. He called on Laurens County
Sheriff Kenny Webb to press the officers involved to cooperate with the
investigation.

Webb said he could not comment on the specifics of Walke's statement
because of the pending litigation, but he did say he has asked the GBI to
finish the investigation of the drug unit.

"I'm sure all the facts will come out in the lawsuit," Webb said.

The lawsuit filed by Brewer also accuses Walke of refusing to prosecute
Brewer's cases. Walke said he had an obligation to not prosecute cases in
which he doubted the testimony of the investigator.

"The duty of a public prosecutor is not only to prosecute the guilty, but
to ensure that the conduct of law enforcement officers involved in the case
is legal and proper," Walke said, adding, "Where is has come to my
attention that any officer's credibility is tainted or suspect, it is my
sworn duty to report that problem to his or her superiors. I cannot, in the
interest of justice, prosecute cases based on testimony of incredible
and/or uncooperative witnesses."

Brewer's attorney, Derek White of Savannah, said he had no comment on the
case as it regarded his client, but took exception to Walke's statement
about Webb.

"I agree with the district attorney that the lawsuit will bring out the
truth. However, I am shocked that he would try to implicate Sheriff Webb in
any form or fashion," White said. "Sheriff Webb has always had the utmost
respect for the citizens of Laurens County and will continue to do so."

When Walke was asked whether he, in fact, believed Brewer was guilty of
perjury, he declined to answer.

Walke said that will be represented by the attorney general's office.

"I have full confidence that the attorney general's office will
successfully expose the legal and factual deficiencies of this case," said
Walke.