On March 28, 2013, an Augusta judge signed a restraining order against private probation company Sentinel Offender Services. The company has been stopped in its quest to arrest a Grovetown man, William Stephen Carter, who has filed a lawsuit against the company.
According to the Augusta Chronicle, Carter was convicted of reckless driving and crossing the centerline in 2009. The case was heard in Richmond County State Court. Carter alleges that he paid the $2,050 fine and complied with all court-ordered conditions during his two-year probation period. One of these conditions was to pay Sentinel $35 per month.
Apparently, Sentinel issued a warrant for Carter’s arrest in 2011 on the grounds that he had violated his probation. Then, on March 9, 2013 he was pulled over for speeding in Columbia County, and the warrant surfaced. Carter spent the weekend in jail and had to cough up $655 to be released.
At this point, Carter filed a suit that claims Sentinel’s warrant was bogus and that he was, therefore, wrongfully jailed.
This is not the first lawsuit Carter has filed. He and his defense team have questioned the state law that lets Georgia local governments contract with non-government companies to oversee misdemeanor probation cases. He and his lawyer call this arrangement unconstitutional.
Georgia is one of about 20 states that operate private probation companies. A law was passed in 2000 in Georgia allowing local courts to contract private companies. Fees are charged to those on probation, not the courts.
A number of legal challenges have arisen about this law, and in February, the House of Representatives will begin to examine changes.
For more information on this and help with other legal matters, contact the Law Office of Scott Miller.
