Attorney: Talmadge was suffering from mental illness

<p>The grandson and great-grandson of two well-known Georgia politicians was suffering from a mental illness when he allegedly pistol-whipped a pizza delivery man, his attorney said.</p><p>Herman Talmadge III _ grandson of the late U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge and great-grandson of four-time Georgia Gov. Eugene Talmadge _ faces several charges in the incident including aggravated assault and kidnapping.</p><p>But Talmadge's attorney, Steven Frey, said Thursday that Talmadge was suffering from acute mania at the time of the incident, which took place earlier this month.</p><p>"We believe the episode of acute mania may be a byproduct, possibly, of the medication he was taking at that time," Frey said.</p><p>Talmadge, 39, turned himself in to Clayton County authorities Wednesday night.</p><p>Talmadge's attorneys had reached a tentative agreement with the Clayton County district attorney's office that would have allowed an $82,000 bond, but no decision was reached Thursday.</p><p>Clayton Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney John Turner said the two sides would meet Friday to discuss bail for Talmadge.</p><p>The delivery man, Maury Seitel, told police he was attacked the night of Feb. 4 by a man whom police later identified as Talmadge. Seitel, 20, told police he and a colleague drove down Talmadge Road in Hampton to deliver a pizza. Police said the two ended up on a dirt road, saw "no trespassing" signs and turned around, and a vehicle followed the two to a grocery store.</p><p>Seitel told police the driver of the vehicle was armed with a revolver and opened Seitel's car door. He told him to get out and struck him in the head with the gun.</p><p>Seitel said he fell to the ground, and the man kept beating him. Seitel was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and released.</p><p>Talmadge waged an unsuccessful bid for Henry County Commission chairman in 2004.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/2/129732