Liberty Minute June 3 2013

Michael Henderson, a former captain in the Murray County, Georgia Sheriff?s Office, has pleaded guilty to obstruction and witness tampering by retaliating against a woman who filed a complaint against a local judge.

Last year, 36-year-old Angela Garmley of Chatsworth, Georgia filed a complaint against Chief Magistrate Judge Bryan Cochran. She accused him of sexually propositioning her after she appeared before him in court. She was cooperating in an investigation in July of last year when she was arrested on spurious drug charges.

Henderson and a deputy sheriff staged a pretext traffic stop on a vehicle in which Mrs. Garmley was a passenger. The stated reason for the stop was that the driver had failed to dim his lights for oncoming traffic. In fact, Henderson was involved in a conspiracy to retaliate against Mrs. Garmley by planting methamphetamine in a small metal container hidden on the underside of the vehicle. When Garmley?s ex-husband came to the scene, he, too was arrested. Charges against them were dropped shortly after Judge Cochrane was forced to resign. In his letter of resignation, Cochrane admitted that he had illegally pre-signed blank warrants for police officers.

As Shakespeare put it, ?Thieves for their robbery have authority when judges steal themselves.?

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.