Georgia sheriff resigns after pleading guilty to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett

A Georgia sheriff has resigned after pleading guilty to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett at a sheriff’s convention.

On Monday in Cobb County, former Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody pleaded guilty to sexual battery. He confessed to inappropriately touching Glenda Hatchett, the host of the TV show “Judge Hatchett,” without her consent. The incident happened during the winter conference of the Georgia Sheriff’s Association at the hotel bar.

According to arrest warrants, the incident occurred on January 18, 2022, at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel bar, during a law enforcement gathering.

According to WSB-TV, former DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown said he witnessed the incident and physically intervened. Brown said Hatchett was his guest at the conference, and Coody groped her while introducing her to some of the Georgia sheriffs in attendance. Brown told WSB-TV that while Coody and Hatchett were talking, he briefly turned away. However, when he turned back around, he witnessed the assault.

Hatchett, at one point in her career, served as the chief presiding judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court. At the time and during her tenure, she was the first African-American judge to hold the position of chief presiding judge in a Georgia state court.

In an Instagram post, Hatchett captioned that justice was served.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Judge Hatchett (@thejudgehatchett)

Coody was sentenced to 12 months of probation, 40 hours of community service, a psychosexual evaluation, and a $500 fine. He must also complete an alcohol and drug course, which his lawyer reportedly says he has already completed.

Coody was first arrested for this incident in February 2022. He joined the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office after being terminated from the Georgia State Patrol in 2007.

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