Roberta, GA (WMAZ) -- Two Roberta police officers convicted of misdemeanors continue to serve on the force while serving time on weekends.
Roberta Police Chief Jackie Cooper says Capt. Scott Moore and part-time Patrolman Floyd Berger serve time beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday morning until 4 p.m. Sunday evening. When Monday rolls around, Moore returns to work and Berger continues to work several days a week.
Their stay stems from an incident back in January of 2007 where Assistant District Attorney Neil Halvorson says the pair found cocaine on a man, but reported he had possession of marijuana, a lesser charge.
Halvorson says the two were charged with making a false statement in writing, a felony, and false report of a crime, a misdemeanor. Moore went to trial where a jury found him guilty of the misdemeanor. Berger plead guilty to the misdemeanor prior to trial.
Chief Cooper admits he's never heard of serving time on the weekend before, but Halvorson says it's not uncommon. He says a judge will sometimes sentence a student or working class person to weekends in jail so they can continue going to school or working.
The judge sentenced them to five consecutive weekends in the Crawford County Jail. The pair will finish up this coming weekend and there's no sign they'll be kicked off the force.
"There's no reason not to use them. Their certification is intact," Cooper said.
Cooper says they still have to cover the town no matter what and Roberta only has five officers including Moore and Berger; two part-time and three full-time.
Ryan Powell with the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council says they've had an open case on both officers since 2007. A council voted to revoke both Moore's and Berger's certifications, but both men appealed the decision and are awaiting a hearing. Powell says the men may still serve on the force until their case is closed.
Halvorson said local judges were recused from the case and Bobby Peters of Columbus, a superior court judge in the Chattahooche Judicial Circuit, heard the case.
9/14/2009 7:08:55 PM
