Camilla councilmen file reconsideration in judges ruling to remove them from council

CAMILLA, Ga. (WALB) - A motion for reconsideration has been filed with the Court of Appeals by two Camilla city councilmen.

In December 2023, the Superior Court ordered Councilman Corey Morgan and Councilman Venterra Pollard to be removed from their seats. After investigations found that they are not the city of Camilla residents.

Morgan and Pollard disagree saying they are both lifelong residents of Camilla and combined have been elected officials for nearly eight years.

“Corey Morgan’s grandmother couldn’t even identify his personal belongings that were supposedly in her house. Pollard’s family couldn’t even testify whether or not he lived in the house he claimed to live in. Everybody knows that they don’t live there,” Attorney Chris Cohilas, representing the Plaintiffs, said.

According to the reconsideration — Morgan and Pollard believe a reconsideration should be granted because the court “overlooked a material fact in the record.” They say their fate should’ve been decided by a jury, not a judge.

The reconsideration says that on April 13, 2023, the trial court issued an order stating, “upon consideration of the pleadings… and evidence presented… there is a factual issue presented for a jury’s determination according to Georgia law.”

It also states that “in cases where the facts alleged are denied by the defendant… the judge shall forthwith… draw a jury of 12 to try the issue of fact.”

Then it says, “The date fixed for trial shall not be less than ten (10) nor more than 30 days from the date of the order.”

According to the reconsideration, the jury trial would have needed to occur between April 24th and May 15th of 2023.

In a joint statement from the two councilmen, they stated, “We remain at awe that two members of the Mitchell County Development Authority are challenging our residency. It could be that we make up — for the first time — a progressive majority that believes in equity, inclusion, and diversity both socially and economically.”

Cohilas says he feels very confident that the reconsideration will be denied, “Here’s the end of the story — they lost! The victims in this case are the citizens of Camilla. They ought to have council members who actually live there, who actually care about rules and laws, and who have to pay the same utility bills that they do.”

WALB is working to find out when the judge might respond to the motion. And what the penalty would be if the councilmen didn’t comply.

Read the full motion for Reconsideration below:

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