21 AUG 08: THE OLD SHELNUTT GAME

It's been about four years since my last conversation with Columbus attorney Mark Shelnutt. In fact, it was shortly before the 2004 judicial election between Bobby Peters and Roxann Daniel. Now there's another dicey race for judge, and Shelnutt's name has come up again. Yet he wasn't a candidate then or now -- and he doesn't look a Mafioso type to me.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Mark Shelnutt confirmed to your blog Wednesday that he's representing the President of the Griffin, Georgia Rotary Club -- a man accused by Columbus Police of trying to solicit child sex online. There are cities where they spin a "wheel of justice" on TV, but I don't think the Rotarians have anything to do with it.

The home page of the Griffin Rotary Club shows Frank Stuart Thompson receiving the "Rotary Jewels," and inviting members to join him for a "Dinner with the Governor" next Monday night. Once word gets around about his legal problems, Sonny Perdue will be even more relieved to know the invitation does NOT involve him.

Columbus Police say Frank Stuart Thompson made an online contact with what he thought was a 12-year-old girl, then agreed to meet with her on Front Avenue downtown. But that "girl" reportedly turned out to be an undercover police officer. If this is true, Thompson should be thankful that officer isn't dating Jon Scott of "Dateline NBC."

For Mark Shelnutt, this case is a bit personal. He told me Wednesday he went through a church confirmation class as a boy in Griffin with one of Frank Thompson's siblings. Shelnutt says people in Griffin are stunned by the arrest. And imagine what today's weekly Rotary Club meeting could be like - especially if someone asks where "impeachment" is in the bylaws.

But is Mark Shelnutt taking the Frank Thompson case a bit TOO personally? This week's news raised questions about it, as did this e-mail we received Wednesday....

I saw on the news last night where Judge Turner had set the bail of a child molester at $5,000..His excuse for so low was that bail is to make sure a person shows up in court and not to punish the person..I also thought bail was set to help protect the public until the person came to trial to prove their innocence..Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. .Just another jab at the public by Judge Turner..

Before we get to Judge Haywood Turner, Shelnutt would want to make some corrections. He'd note Thompson is only a suspect -- and he indicated to me Wednesday Thompson has no criminal past along these lines. I'm assuming those "lines" are both online and offline.

Mark Shelnutt admits he called five different local judges on a weekend, hoping to get bail set for Frank Thompson. But he says that's been a common practice, during his years as a defense attorney in Columbus. If the bail bonding companies can offer 24-hour service, why not the judges?

Mark Shelnutt says Judge Haywood Turner was the first one who returned his call, to set Frank Thompson's bail. So it was like the business world - first come, first petition served....

Mark Shelnutt repeated to me the line Judge Haywood Turner is using -- that bond is NOT supposed to be punishment for an alleged crime. Apparently that explanation hasn't been told to the guards at Guantanamo Bay.

Mark Shelnutt added since posting bond, Frank Thompson has made a return trip to Columbus. No, I did NOT ask if he was attending a Rotary "make-up meeting...."

District Attorney Gray Conger argues Judge Haywood Turner set too low a bond in this case, and Mark Shelnutt went "behind his back" to free Frank Thompson. But Shelnutt says the prosecutor's office never is involved in bond hearings at the level of Recorder's Court. Besides, have you ever seen prosecutors at the Crimestoppers "Jail and Bail" events?

Mark Shelnutt told me the complaint by Gray Conger is "nothing but political posturing." The District Attorney is up for re-election this fall, as is Judge Haywood Turner. But here's the thing - aren't they both Republicans? At least on the ballot? At least THIS year, as opposed to 2000?

The November election well could be a factor in all this - and in fact, we originally called Mark Shelnutt about yet another e-mail which is election-related:

I am sure that you know by now that Julia Slater will be running for District Attorney. Are you aware of the rumors and stories surrounding the firm that she works for. Berry, Shellnut, Day and Hoffman (oops, Hoffman left) is a very reputable firm. Slater has worked there for a few years. Unfortunately, one of her employers, Mark Shellnut, has been going around town claiming that he is being investigated. He has approached the FBI, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney's office in attempts to find out if he is being investigated. He also tells all the influential people in town how the government is out to get him. This is no doubt to try to save his Good Name.

Now comes the elections. With the other rumors circulating, that Shellnut was going to run for Superior Court Judge, he must have felt that his credibility was in question with the mixing of the investigation rumors. Shellnut will now throw Julia Slater's name into the mix to run for District Attorney, this setting up his defense. If the alleged investigation leads to an arrest, it will be turned into a political agenda that has nothing to do with the District Attorney's Office.

Politics is H**l.

Of course this is easy speculation, but is relative easy to ascertain if you read between the lines.

Strange as it may seem, Julia Slater called us Wednesday after we talked with Mark Shelnutt. We had NOT called her, and she had to leave a message because we were out on an errand. What do you think might have inspired that call? I thought "second opinions" were common only with doctors.

But anyway: Mark Shelnutt clarified what he's been saying -- that he actually had heard rumors of an investigation, instead of saying he actually WAS under investigation. After all, plenty of people think the government is out to get them. Take the ones who mail tax returns on April 15....

Mark Shelnutt explains he didn't want to wind up in a "conflict of interest" with a client, because of an investigation against him. So he was asking around to learn the truth behind the rumor - and he told me nothing has been confirmed. Amazingly, Shelnutt was nice enough to stop short of blaming Gray Conger for it.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Wednesday's Instant Message brought a response - and sadly, it wasn't from that good-looking woman on TV who called me a chicken....

I'm just thankful that Donald Gold is not currently doing the commercials for Direct Optical Center. One thing I never figured out though, how does "earless" Donald keep his glasses on?

Now now - I've heard this question before. Look carefully at the center's web site, and you'll see Dr. Gold has a small right ear. If you can't see it, maybe it's time you called to schedule an exam.

I have a theory for these rumors that Dr. Donald Gold has no ears. People have become so used to seeing big ears on Ross Perot and Barack Obama that they think anyone with something less was attacked by Mike Tyson.

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TODAY'S BLOG OLYMPIC MOMENT: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Trainor won the Olympic gold medal in women's beach volleyball Thursday morning in Beijing. I went to a day of beach volleyball at the 1996 Atlanta games, and the first match was like an outdoor party. Then the U.S. teams left the sand - and so few people were left in the stands that you could get "up close and personal."

Now some other items of interest from Wednesday's news....

+ Farmers south of Columbus prepared for possible heavy rain from Tropical Storm Fay. But of course, the storm system could drain itself dry before reaching our area - and then you'd have a Fay accompli.

+ The LaGrange Daily News showed pictures of a new video replay scoreboard, that's being installed at Callaway Stadium. LaGrange High School will have a "jumbotron" this fall, Auburn University football will have one - and what will Columbus's two stadiums have? Students taking cell-phone pictures?

(The video replay board in LaGrange costs $200,000, and is apparently being funded by donations from local businesses. The Muscogee County Schools probably should try that same approach - because the sight of school board members shopping for HDTV's at Best Buy would only raise questions.)

+ WKCN "Kissin' 99.3" announced Taylor Swift will appear in concert at the Columbus Civic Center in late September. Tickets go on sale Friday morning - but it seems awfully early in the term for her fans to declare "Senior Skip Day" for this.

+ Instant Message to Bear O'Brian: Well, well - welcome back to Columbus radio, on Kissin' 99.3! It seems like you never really left. And most of the shoppers who hear you inside Piggly Wiggly stores probably never knew you left.

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