Georgia DA Drops, Re-FilesComic Book Prosecution

Heidi MacDonald of The Beat is keeping her readers up to date on the legal problems of Gordon Lee, a Georgia comic books shop owner who was charged with giving an adult-themed comic to a nine-year-old. On the day the trial was to begin, the charges were dropped by the district attorney, who conceded that the evidence against was faulty—but then promptly filed new charges. As Lee’s attorney notes, “I have never—as a criminal trial lawyer for thirty years—seen a complete changing of the facts like this. Throughout the last year and a half, through written statements, the investigation, and the presentation of evidence before the grand jury, as well as the written accusation and indictment, the State had steadfastly asserted that the comic book had been handed to the nine-year-old. The dismissal of the charges today reflects the prosecution’s admission that everything that was presented as evidence before was untrue, and that they had stuck to the false facts through procedure after procedure in the case. We now intend to investigate how a year and a half of statements based on one set of facts has now been changed at the last minute to another set of facts.”

Lee’s legal fees are being covered by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which has spent more than $40,000 so far.

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