For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2005
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Contact: Allison Manning
Phone: 404-232-8900

GPDSC Investigators Prove Innocence of Indigent Client

Atlanta - On Friday the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council honored two of its investigators from the Cordele Judicial Circuit whose extraordinary dedication and skill led to the exoneration of a man wrongly accused of murder. Certificates of commendation were awarded to investigators Andy Anderson and Orlando Battle during an investigator training seminar at GPDSC 's central office in Atlanta.

According to the Cordele Circuit Public Defender Burt Baker, Anderson and Battle came to him after extensive investigation on the case and asked that he look over the information they had collected. Baker found that through witness interviews and other fact gathering techniques, Anderson and Battle had developed a timeline of events leading up to the crime that proved the client's innocence and also provided evidence on the identity of the real murderer.

Gary Parker, Deputy Director of Training and Performance Standards, presented the certificates to Anderson and Battle. Quoting from the certificates, Parker said that the work of the two investigators, "exemplifies professional standards of performance." Parker congratulated the two on their success, stating, "you have brought honor to yourselves and our organization as a whole."

Upon accepting his commendation certificate, Anderson said, "I don't feel I really deserve this because I was just doing my job. The best reward is seeing an innocent person freed."

Anderson and Battle are the most senior investigators on staff with GPDSC . The Cordele circuit defender office was the first circuit office opened under the new statewide public defender system. Each circuit defender office has investigators on staff to assist with developing the facts of a case.

The Georgia Public Defender Standards Council is an independent agency within the judicial branch of state government. Passed in 2003 by the Georgia General Assembly, the Indigent Defense Act created the agency and charged it with assuring that adequate and effective legal representation is provided, independent of political and private interests to ensure that justice is achieved for all indigent defendants in Georgia.

For further information, please contact Allison Manning at 404-232-8900.

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