Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jul 2002
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
Copyright: 2002 Athens Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.onlineathens.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1535
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

SHERIFF ABUSED DRUGS, COURT PAPERS REVEAL

Effingham Controversy

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. (AP) - Effingham County Sheriff Jay Space has abused 
painkillers and other prescription drugs since he was diagnosed with 
multiple sclerosis last year, according to court papers seeking to remove 
the sheriff from office. Space, 40, was arrested on drug charges Wednesday, 
three weeks after Gov. Roy Barnes suspended him for 60 days. Barnes said 
the sheriff's illness had rendered him unfit for duty, but did not mention 
drugs. The arrest means Space now faces criminal prosecution on felony 
charges as well as losing the job he was elected to in 1996 and 2000. Court 
papers filed Wednesday by District Attorney Joe Martin say Space's drug 
use, reckless driving and bizarre behavior prove he needs to be permanently 
removed from office. ''Sheriff Space is incapacitated as a result of the 
use and abuse of prescription medications,'' as well as the effects of his 
disease, the court filing says. The papers seek a civil trial in which a 
jury would decide whether to force Space from office. No hearing dates have 
been set. The documents also detail accounts of Space's odd behavior. In 
one, Space pesters a female county employee about the color of her 
underwear. In another, he literally stomps on Georgia's new state flag. 
Space's attorneys, Herman Coolidge and Bobby Phillips, did not immediately 
return a telephone message seeking comment. Before his suspension, Space 
declared several times he could do his job while battling MS, a 
degenerative disease that causes loss of muscle control. Court records say 
Space illegally bought drugs without a prescription 24 times between May 
2001, a month before the sheriff announced he had MS, and last month. 
Prosecutors say Space self-medicated with several controlled drugs 
including the sedative Valium, the anti-depressant Paxil and the 
painkillers tramadol, dihydrocodeine, Percocet and OxyContin. Space also 
made monthly purchases of 500 tablets of the drug butalbital, a potentially 
addictive barbiturate used to treat tension headaches, the court records 
say. There are no charges that Space used any drugs that cannot be 
prescribed legally. But prosecutors say there's evidence Space abused 
prescription drugs even before May 2001. Court records say Space's wife and 
sister had the sheriff committed to a hospital against his will for ''dual 
treatment for prescription drug abuse and multiple sclerosis'' on April 18, 
2001. The documents also contain accounts of Space behaving strangely, such 
as an Aug. 14 meeting on a new dress code for Effingham County employees. 
''Sheriff Space began to inappropriately comment on the women who might be 
wearing thong underwear,'' the documents say. ''Sheriff Space followed a 
female county employee around trying to look at the color and style of her 
underwear.'' Prosecutors also say Space threw a tantrum last year when 
employees replaced the department's old Georgia flag, with its prominent 
Confederate emblem, with the newly approved state flag that shrinks the 
symbol. ''Sheriff Space took it down and threw it onto the floor and jumped 
up and down on it repeatedly,'' the court papers say. ''He then ordered 
deputies to take it out and burn it. He then folded the flag up and threw 
it in the trash can.'' Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents arrested 
Space at his home Wednesday, said GBI spokesman John Bankhead. He was 
released on bond from the Effingham County jail. ''This was a result of a 
search warrant executed on his house several weeks ago'' in which agents 
seized prescription drugs, Bankhead said. Agents suspect Space bought the 
drugs over the Internet, he said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom