DAVID SIMPSON
Copyright 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Doraville Police Chief Ron Davis will serve 12 months on probation and pay a $1,000 fine to settle accusations that he misused police money to buy hunting equipment.
Davis entered a plea of no contest Monday to a misdemeanor charge of malpractice in office and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Michael Hancock. The DeKalb County district attorney’s office dropped felony charges of theft by taking and violation of his oath of office.
Davis resigned in 2002. An indictment issued last year accused him of using proceeds from drug seizures to buy thousands of dollars worth of hunting equipment and allowing others to make such purchases.
Davis had disputed the contention that the equipment had no law enforcement value. His lawyer, Cal Leipold, said Davis made the plea bargain “to resolve this situation and try to put it behind him.”
Leipold said Davis did not closely monitor the purchases by subordinates.
“I think it’s a very unfortunate, very sad case of someone who placed confidence in people he probably should not have placed confidence in,” Leipold said.
November 30, 2005