Christopher Sapp, the midstate bureau chief of Copperhead Radio in Chattanooga, files a remonstrance with a judge pursuant to his rights in the Georgia bill of rights. (Photo David Tulis)

Christopher Sapp, midstate bureau chief for Copperhead Radio network, has been provoked covering the story of Michael James, a Chattanooga truck driver seized by a Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., city cop.

The provocation is the result of his analysis of the James arrest, which threatens the Chattanooga man’s CDL truck driver status and is marked by numerous irregularities that have come more clearly into view the last few days.

Fort Oglethorpe officer Shandi Hall is involved in false reports, changing records, masking and aggressive actions against innocent members of the public. In arresting Mr. James in Fort Oglethorpe, she says he “re-engaged” after she told him he was “free to go,” and that she then arrested him because, in a 20-second interval, “he came back a hit” with an outstanding warrant from Henry County, Ga.

Mr. Sapp on April 19 sent his analysis and petition to Judge Webb, with copies to numerous city officials, doing so as friend of the court under the Georgia constitutional provisions at art. 1, sect. 1, para. 9, recognizing the right of the people to remonstrate with public servants.

Remonstrance to Fort Oglethorpe judge

Pursuant to Ga. Const. art. I § I, para 9, and at the request of Mr. Michael James, I am forwarding you a link to the bodycam footage of Ft. Oglethorpe officer Shandi Hall (badge #136) in reference to the charges leveled against Mr. Michael James, Municipal Court Case #3400001692 – Ticket# TFO2423000.

It is my understanding that Mr. James wished to submit and include the body camera footage as evidence in his case, but that it was unavailable to him when he last appeared before you. As you will see, the exculpatory nature of the footage conclusively demonstrates that officer Hall perjured her oral and written testimony to the Court, just as Mr. James asserted at the officer’s “show cause” hearing on March 14th, 2024.

As a friend of the Court, it is my understanding that Mr. James has already filed a separate DVD with the Court containing video footage which shows officer Hall typing on a computer in the intake area of the Catoosa County jail for an extended amount of time, presumably making annotations and notes in the Sheriff’s department computer system with regard to the citation and arrest of Mr. James.

TAKEAWAYS:

— Judges, cops cover for misfeasance, malfeasance in office

— Small-town administrations defensive as against the general public

— Evidence from cops requires careful review to find due process violations

— Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., has crooked cops on the payroll

The Sheriff’s department video and documentary evidence will show that officer Hall falsified records at the Sheriff’s department to indicate a dismissal of the seat belt citation as having been “written in error,” contrary to the oral testimony she provided to you in open Court during the last proceeding on March 14th, 2024.

You, sir, are the trier-of-fact in this case, but the video footage linked below should more than substantiate the claims and assertions of Mr. James with regard to the lack of candor and integrity of Officer Hall’s testimony and representations to the Court thus far. Upon closer inspection, the Court should take note of the following:

(a.) Officer Hall is clearly “masking” the citation after verbally acknowledging that Mr. James was, in fact, a CDL holder.

(b.) Officer Hall falsely and incorrectly noted the mile-marker location of the stop upon the face of the citation to reflect that the stop of Mr. James occurred at mile marker 0 when, in fact, the stop actually occurred just inside the city limits at or around mile marker 4.

(c.) Officer Hall’s initiation of the pretextual stop of Mr. James occurred well outside the city limits, and absent a breach of the peace, violating Mr. James’ liberty of movement.

(d.) There is no indication or radio traffic on the video that a “hit” from Henry County was returned by dispatch, nor was there ever any type of “re-engagement” with the officer by Mr. James, Mr. James was still engaged in the same consensual conversation with the officer following her invitation for questions. Once Mr. James sought clarification of his right to protest the citation, he was summarily arrested without any further apparent indication from dispatch confirming that Henry County had responded to the warrant hold. Officer Hall then received a call from a Lt. Goolsby who referred to Mr. James using a racial epithet which Mr. James states he could overhear from the rear of the patrol car where in the voice on the phone asked, “Did you get that nigger?” Officer Hall immediately exited the vehicle and can be observed fumbling with her body cam in a vain attempt to mute the conversation where she can then be heard seeking a plausible justification for the retaliatory arrest of Mr. James.

Mr. James has reportedly raised numerous legal objections to challenge the veracity and integrity of the officer so as to impeach her credibility and testimony before this Court.

As you know, perjury is a criminal offense in every state, and this Court simply cannot dismissively assert that Mr. James’ legitimate legal objections are mere “personal attacks” on the officer. Rather, it speaks to the moral turpitude of the officer as well as fraud upon the Court itself.

City court judge Winston Webb, left, is part of a Fort Oglethorpe swearing in of councilwoman Paula Stinnett (waving). Twice he has refused to recognize lack of subject matter jurisdiction, the lack created by defective charging instruments in a “seatbelt” case. (Photo Adam Cook, Walker County Messenger, Catoosa County News)

Court judges are to sit as neutral and detached triers-of-fact when discharging their duties in pursuit of justice, they are not to be biased or protective of any party who fabricates testimony or documents tendered to the Court for prosecution.

Moreover, while a seatbelt violation may simply carry a $15 civil penalty in the state of Georgia, it carries far-reaching ramifications for CDL holders in other states, such as the state of Tennessee. Any untruthfulness by the officer with regard to the wearing of the seatbelt carries detrimental consequences to the CDL holder’s license. Accordingly, it is of utmost importance that this Court determine the unvarnished truth of the matter, and to resolve any hint of untruthfulness or lack of candor by the officer, in favor of Mr. James.

In baseball, a batter only gets three strikes at the ball before they are declared “out.”

In this instance, Mr. James points to no less than three material misrepresentations to the Court with regard to the testimony of this officer. The officer materially misrepresented the CDL status of the licensee as well as the correct location of the stop. Furthermore, she has demonstrated a lack of candor regarding the initial reason for the stop as well as where she turned on her blue lights to affect the stop.

Moreover, the officer may have also falsified the “hit” purportedly returned from Henry County as no such indication can be heard via radio and no apparent haptic code was transmitted or indicated via the bodycam.

Lastly, Mr. James has previously filed open records and discovery requests for the full disclosure of all radio traffic, dash cam video, etc. which the city has largely ignored, denying him the exculpatory evidence he believes it would show.

Whether this case is tried criminally or civilly, the evidence in this case clearly preponderates in favor of Mr. James, and this matter should be immediately dismissed ministerially. Officer Hall, while disarmingly friendly, should be disciplined, demoted, or placed on the Brady list for knowingly engaging in perjury and perpetrating fraud upon the Court.

Any personal statements or observations with regard to this matter, on my part, are to be considered a remonstrance in the nature of petition for redress of grievances pursuant to GA Const. Art 1, sec 1, par 9.

When justice is perverted or denied to one man, the liberty and justice of all men is thereby threatened and placed in jeopardy.

As such, I respectfully request that you immediately dismiss the charges against Mr. James and that you order Officer Hall into some type of remedial training regarding her duty of candor to the Court, and to the citizenry, as one charged with the fiduciary duty of upholding an office of public trust and confidence, in the discharge of her official duties as a peace officer.