A former Clayton County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman remains in the Henry County jail, awaiting to appear before a Clayton judge who had her arrested for showing up late to court where she faced charges of unlawful eavesdropping.
Alicia Parkes was arrested Tuesday when she arrived about 90 minutes after the trial was supposed to start, Clayton Sheriff Kem Kimbrough said. Parkes was indicted last year on two counts of illegally using her cellphone to record a co-worker in the restroom.
After a series of postponements, Parkes' trial had been set for 1 p.m. Tuesday before Clayton Superior Court Judge Deborah Benefield.
"She [Benefield] takes a dim view of people who don't show up in court," Kimbrough said. Kimbrough said Parkes' late arrival may have been due to a miscommunication.
"It was kind of weird. Nobody knew they were supposed to be in court," he said, noting that deputies who were scheduled as witnesses in the case weren't notified until 11 a.m. that day that they were due to appear. "She [Parkes] was at work and went out on a lunch break but didn't leave any contact information and her attorney was unable to reach her."
Ironically, Parkes was unreachable because her county-issued cellphone had been returned to the county and her personal phone had been shut off, Kimbrough said. Parkes still works at the sheriff's department in an administrative capacity, Kimbrough said. She has been with the office for two years.
Parkes is in the Henry County jail due to a policy that prevents employees from being jailed in the same facility where they'd once worked. She is being held without bond and is expected to appear in court possibly Thursday, Kimbrough said.
About the Author
