ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — More than two decades after one of Georgia’s most notorious murder trials was moved to Dougherty County, the prosecutors who handled the case say bringing it to Albany tested the court system and highlighted ongoing resource challenges facing rural courts.

Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan returned to Albany with former Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges for a book signing Thursday, Sept. 24, reflecting on the 2002 trial of former DeKalb County Sheriff Sidney Dorsey. The high-profile trial was moved south to Albany due to pretrial publicity in metro Atlanta.

‘Case of a lifetime’ comes home to Albany

For Morgan, an Albany native, prosecuting the case in his hometown brought his career full circle.

“I grew up in Albany. I was born at Phoebe Putney. I went through schools here and the junior college. I was sworn in to practice law in the Dougherty County Courthouse,” Morgan said. “So then 22 years later, the next time I’m in the courtroom where I got sworn in, I’m trying my case of a lifetime.”

The trial overwhelmed local accommodations at the time, forcing prosecutors to stay outside the city at a hunting lodge because hotel space was scarce. Despite the intense media presence and gag order, Morgan praised the community’s handling of the proceedings.

“I cannot think of another place I would have rather tried this case than Albany, Georgia,” Morgan said.

The divide between metro and rural court resources

Hodges, who served as Dougherty County’s district attorney during the trial, teamed up with Morgan’s office to provide local guidance and courtroom support. While the trial brought state attention and resources to Southwest Georgia, Hodges said the contrast in staffing and funding between metro and rural judicial circuits remains evident today.

“Obviously the bigger counties — DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb, all the metro areas — have far more resources than we do in the rural areas of the state,” Hodges said. “And even though Albany is a city, it’s fairly rural as far as that goes.”

Staffing shortages test Dougherty County prosecutors

Today, the greatest lingering challenge facing rural court systems across Georgia is recruiting and retaining prosecutors. Hodges noted that Edwards, who now serves as Dougherty County’s district attorney, is currently operating four assistant district attorneys short.

“It’s a struggle to get the job done,” Hodges said. “Unfortunately, crime does not abate when we don’t have the resources to confront it. I know we’ve got some great young prosecutors here who are trying their best and doing a good job with what they have.”

Hodges said staffing rural offices was far easier 20 years ago during the Dorsey proceedings than it is now, noting that Edwards is a “fantastic district attorney” to navigate the current deficit.

“I think it’s more of a today issue with the staffing in the rural areas than it was 20 years ago,” Hodges said.

Reflecting on the verdict that brought closure to the family of slain sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, Hodges called Morgan’s new book a compelling, modern-day account of justice in Georgia.

“We got the right results, and we got justice for the Brown family,” Hodges said.

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