Guest • 6 years ago
Riotof1 • 6 years ago
I live nearby and looked into the situation some time ago. As far as I can tell from his blog and other online posts about the subject, he suffers from bipolar disorder and it is going untreated.
From what I know about our mental health system, as he's an adult and deemed able to take care of himself at an acceptable level, no one can really intervene and 'make' him get help so long as he isn't posing an immediate threat to himself or those around him. Unfortunately, he has a history of behaving in ways that are perceived as threatening or aggressive (i.e. crashing church gatherings and refusing to leave, cornering people and shouting at/debating them in a way that makes them uncomfortable and refusing to leave them alone, etc.) but since it hasn't escalated beyond that, it doesn't "count".
Part of the reason the county has been reluctant to step in is because legal action is basically the only path open to them unless he consents to get treatment--which he won't. Obviously, throwing him in jail ain't the damn way, but our mental health system is fundamentally broken which is why so many people struggling wind up in jail. It's a sad situation with no real, meaningful path to a resolution that will benefit the community and get him some help.
J.C. • 6 years ago
Does anyone know what the exact charges were? I'm confused about how a county code violation in magistrate court could result in a 5-year felony sentence.
DJS • 6 years ago
This has been an issue in the neighborhood since at least 2012 that I'm aware of....
I'm sure after numerous complaints and code violations over the span of 5+ years it could easily escalate to criminal charges and a felony charge.
Dan Whisenhunt • 6 years ago
Great question. According to Fox 5 story from last year he was charged with 10 code violations. According to DeKalb County Municipal Code, jail time is a possibility for violations. I'll post the relevant links:
http://www.fox5atlanta.com/...
Ten thousand bucks?! He should have gotten a performing art & entertainment permit, instead...