ALBANY - Sidney Dorsey, the former DeKalb County sheriff accused of ordering the assassination of his successor, has been refusing to eat while in jail, the judge in his murder trial said Tuesday. <br>
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Judge Cynthia Becker said before afternoon testimony that she had been told Dorsey was not eating. She threatened to have him ``physically examined and pumped full of whatever it takes'' to get proper nutrition. <br>
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Dorsey told the judge the reports were a misunderstanding. <br>
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Dorsey is charged with murder in the death of Derwin Brown, who was gunned down in his driveway December 15, 2000, three days before he was to take office. He had beaten Dorsey in a hotly contested election months earlier on a vow to clean up corruption in the sheriff's department. <br>
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Prosecutors say Dorsey the 63-year-old ordered the killing in hopes of forcing a special election and winning back his job. <br>
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Defense attorneys say Dorsey associates who wanted jobs or promotions at the DeKalb County jail planned the ambush themselves, and Dorsey had nothing to do with it. <br>
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Dorsey is also accused of racketeering in the sheriff's department. Prosecutors say he accepted bribes, demanded sex from a female bonding agent, ordered deputies to work for his private security company at taxpayer expense and used deputies to run family errands. <br>
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In testimony Tuesday DeKalb sheriff's Major Tony Scipio testified he had driven Dorsey's six-year-old son, known as ``Boomer,'' to school and delivered him daily Happy Meals from McDonald's. <br>
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Scipio testified, ``Boomer is a spoiled brat. He likes to have his way, and if he doesn't like what is being served at school, he goes back and tells his father.'' <br>
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The murder case against Dorsey is based almost entirely on the testimony of his former associates Patrick Cuffy and Paul Skyers, who were given immunity in exchange for their testimony. <br>
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Cuffy and Skyers have said they carried out the murder with two other men, David Ramsey and Melvin Walker, on orders from Dorsey. In January, a jury acquitted Ramsey and Walker of all charges. <br>
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Prosecutors initially named Walker as the gunman, but now say they believe Skyers pulled the trigger. <br>
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Dorsey could get life in prison without parole if convicted. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. The trial was moved from Decatur to Albany, 150 miles south because of heavy pretrial publicity.
