Macon attorney turns self in at jail after judge orders her arrest

Attorney Veronica Brinson turned herself in at the Bibb County jail Friday after a Georgia Superior Court judge ordered her arrest for failing to comply with a court order in a civil case.

Brinson was found to be in contempt of court for not producing documents to lawyers who represented Andrew Foster, who is also a lawyer, after a 2011 lawsuit in which Brinson alleged harassment and lost.

“The court determined that her claims were frivolous enough that they warranted attorney’s fees under the law, which is sort of a rarity,” Sam Alderman, Foster’s lawyer, told The Telegraph.

Alderman wanted documents and truthful testimony from Brinson about her property, banking records and other assets so that he could help Foster could recover court costs.

Alderman said Brinson ignored his requests, so he filed a motion in court to compel her to respond.

“This was a very standard procedure,” Alderman said. “Typically people comply with court orders.”

In February 2016, Judge Bemon McBride, of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, ordered Brinson to produce documents within a 10-day time-frame. Months later, in May 2016, Brinson still had not complied, so the judge found her in contempt and ordered her arrest.

Brinson was freed on a $20,000 bond and filed an appeal, which was denied last week by the Georgia Court of Appeals.

A new order for her arrest was signed by McBride on Friday.

“We tried hard to keep this from happening. We gave her every opportunity … and we have no other avenues,” Alderman said. “The ball is in her court to comply.”

Though Brinson agreed to meet a Telegraph reporter at the jail late afternoon Friday before turning herself in, she changed her mind.

“The sheriff recommended that I just leave,” Brinson said as she was being taken back into a booking area. “It’s not a crime … it’s just not turning in papers to my colleague Sam Alderman.”

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said he has known Brinson for some time and that she called him Friday morning to ask if he had the order for her arrest.

“I said, ‘Yes, you need to come on in and turn yourself in,’ “ the sheriff said. “I gave her until 2 o’ clock. … I had some deputies already ready to go and try to find her.”

Brinson showed up at the jail three hours late.

“She is here until she satisfies the order of this court (and) until she produces whatever documents, whatever testimony is called for in this order,” the sheriff said.

This story was originally published July 20, 2018 at 7:01 PM.