DARIEN - An audit of the McIntosh County Magistrate Court uncovered a sweet tooth among employees there. Hundreds of dollars in court funds were spent on candy, soft drinks, chips and coffee creamer, along with some office supplies, a recent report showed. <br>
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The County Commission conducted the audit after asking District Attorney Tom Durden to investigate the court's spending. Durden has asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to examine the records and report its findings to his office. <br>
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Partial results by Moore Stephens Tiller LLC show that $95 was spent at a Wal-Mart store in March 2000 for candy, cups and tissue paper, among other items. The same receipt shows about $81 for printer cartridges, pens and refills. <br>
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Five months later, someone spent $61.45 at Fred's of Darien, again mostly for candy. Brand names on the receipts include Hershey, Life Saver, Planters, Mr. Goodbar and Butterfinger. <br>
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Some invoices contained only office supplies, but one, a $215.57 bill for pens, refills and highlight markers among other things, noted that the company had sent along a free tin of jelly beans. <br>
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Even if no criminal act is revealed, County Attorney Adam Poppell III said, the Magistrate Court cannot spend money it acquires from fines and fees on any kind of expenses. <br>
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By law, that revenue must be transferred to the county commission, which adopts budgets for all county offices and pays their bills. <br>
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Deputy Magistrate Teresa Jennings' name appeared on some of the documents but she referred questions to her lawyer, Sam Hensley Jr. <br>
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Hensley said the purchases served ``a legitimate purpose of the court.'' The candy is given to inmates who had been on ``crack'' cocaine and other drugs, to help them control themselves during initial court appearances. <br>
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The candy also helps placate restless youngsters who come to court with their parents, he said. <br>
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Sheriff Charles ``Chunk'' Jones said inmates can buy candy from the jail commissary. He said his office has nothing to do with Magistrate Court operations.
