It was the lack of an apology that apparently angered the judge the most. Superior Court Judge Robert Mallis strongly chastised former District Attorney Tim Madison for not apologizing to the young assistant he pulled into his theft scheme. The judge then sentenced the former District Attorney to serve six years in prison and six years on probation. Prosecutors had asked for eight years in jail.
Madison
was also ordered to pay $40,000 in
restitution for the money he took from the Piedmont Judicial Circuit.
The majority of the funds were taken from Banks County. Madison must
also serve one year in an alcohol treatment program.
Madison will turn himself into the Banks County Jail at 9 a.m.
Saturday. The Georgia Department of Corrections will determine where
Madison will be housed during his prison sentence. Officials with the
state have already discussed placing Madison in a federal prison for
his own safety.
Brett Williams and Linn Jones have also been charged in the case. Their court dates have not been set. Before he was sentenced, Madison addressed the court:
“I’m deeply sorry for what I’ve done,” Madison told the judge. “I’m ashamed of what I’ve done… I’ve already surrendered my law license. I was ready to commit suicide. I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. I’m at your mercy. I’m very sorry that I did this.”
During testimony from several witnesses and from Madison himself, a story of alcoholism, mental illness and a gambling addiction was revealed. Madison has been treated for alcoholism related issues and has attended AA meetings since the mid-1990s, although he had not been in treatment for several years
“I was living a secret life,” Madison said.
Madison resigned last June as district attorney following a series of investigative newspaper articles published in The Jackson Herald, Jefferson. Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker subsequently launched an investigation into the DA’s office. That probe led to the theft indictments in Banks County last August.
For the complete story of Tuesday's hearing, read The Braselton News this week.
