CLERK OF COURT JETT

They're all too chicken...a la Charlie and Charlie Van Zant Sr. debacle.

What is the case number and which federal court was the case filed?

Read on below to item #2 -- CASE TAKEN TO FEDERAL COURT -- in Deborah Cearnal's court roundup which was published in Saturday, June 9, edition of My Clay Sun, and posted online Sunday:

Man indicted in Fitzgerald case faces Monday hearingBy MyClaySun - Sun, 06/10/2007 - 5:07pm

By DEBORAH CEARNAL / deborah.cearnal@myclaysun.com

While former county commissioner Christy Fitzgerald has been acquitted of a felony charge against her, one of the persons indicted with her will have a hearing on Monday.

Charles Allen Dukes is charged with felony littering. He is accused of dumping more than 500 pounds of land-clearing and tree-removal debris into the Sleepy Hollow borrow pit between Feb. 28, 2005, and March 1, 2005.

Had the 44-year-old Middleburg resident taken the trash to the landfill, it would have cost him $11.75.
Since his indictment, Dukes has been arrested six times on charges from possession of drug paraphernalia — for which he received a year of probation — to knowingly driving while license suspended or revoked and driving without a license. He has received 10 traffic citations as well. His latest arrest was on May 5 for contempt of court for the possession of paraphernalia and driving while license suspended charges.

Also indicted with the two is Arthur Ivey, the county’s former public works director. Court records show his trial on counts of grand theft, violation of Department of Environmental Protection rules, littering a petty theft is set for Aug. 20.

Case taken to federal court

A woman who lost her case — and appeal — against Clerk of Court James Jett over her firing has taken her complaint to federal court.

Z. Paige Barthlow of Middleburg is charging her First Amendment rights of free speech were violated when she did not support Jett’s 2004 re-election campaign and complained to authorities about alleged soliciting election funds on the job, Jett’s attorney, Robert L. McLeod II explained Wednesday.

Barthlow’s previous case in state court in 2005 alleged she was dismissed in retaliation for notifying the state’s Elections Commission of possible campaign violations by Jett and for filing complaints about her former supervisor’s ability to perform his job duties.

The suit was dropped in May 2005 on a technicality.

“It was dismissed in state court; they appealed and it was dismissed again,” McLeod said. “This suit alleged her First Amendment rights were violated when she wasn’t reappointed to her job, rather than the whistleblower suit [from state court].”

In other court action:
- An Orlando man has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing a car and littering. Stacey Devon Burney, 33, pleaded guilty to the two charges. He was suspected of dumping more than 500 pounds of household debris on private property just off Gary Road and, after leaving Putnam County Jail, stealing a car from the parking lot of Clay High School.