Good morning.

My name is Charles Bowen, and I am legal counsel for Chief Judge Tammy
Stokes and the Recorders Court of Chatham County. We have invited you here today to present
the Formal Findings and Conclusions of the Chief Judge to the two HR complaints that were
filed against the Clerk of Recorders Court back in February.
As far as procedure today, I will be introducing the Chief Judge and she will make a prepared
statement and then distribute copies of her report. Just so everyone is aware, no questions will
be taken today. We made this decision based upon the assumption that the vast majority of your
questions will be answered in the report provided to you today. We want to give everyone an
opportunity to review the information thoroughly, but I will be happy to answer any questions
you still have at a later time.
Before I bring up Judge Stokes to make her statement, however, there are a few things that need
to be said. I have practiced law in Savannah for over 20 years. I have been privileged to know
Judge Stokes for each and every one of them. Now, during that period of time, Ive heard a lot
of stories. A lot of stories about the good ol boy system and back room deals. About corrupt
political practices and intentional efforts to discredit people if they refused to get in line and go
along with the status quo.
And you know what? I was the first person to roll my eyes and say, Come on. That kind of
stuff doesnt actually happen in the real world. Well, I stand in front of you today to tell you
that I was 100% absolutely wrong.
Over the past three months that I have been involved in this matter, one fact has become crystal
clear: there was a coordinated and concerted effort by the Office of the City Attorney and other
city management planned out over months to discredit the Recorders Court of Chatham County
and to target and remove Chief Judge Tammy Stokes, Angela Barnes and Shadavia Scott-Brown
from positions of authority for no other reason than to pursue a personal and political agenda.
This plan started out with the illegal HR investigation conducted by the Office of the City
Attorney, continued on through to the City actually filing a LAWSUIT against the Recorders
Court, all the way through to Chief Judge Tammy Stokes actually being stripped of her
administrative authority by Superior Court, forcing us to go all the way to the Supreme Court of
Georgia, the highest court in the state, in order to get her reinstated so she could release this
report to you today.
They tried every trick in the book and even invented a few new ones to try to keep this report
from being released. But they failed. And now they have to face the one thing they fear above
all else: the bright light of the truth.
If you are skeptical: I have three words for you. Read the report.
You want to know why Im angry? Read the report.
Why does there need to be immediate and sweeping change? Read the report.

Over the past three months, I have witnessed one of the finest attorneys, finest judges and finest
person I have ever met have her name and reputation dragged through the mud. I have watched
people who should KNOW BETTER act like she has been accused, tried and convicted based on
nothing but a report that relies on nothing but the unsupported hearsay statements of four people
with absolutely no probative value.
Ive seen the Superior Court of this county accuse her of gross mismanagement and try to strip
her of her authority based on NO EVIDENCE. Now, you would think that if there was one
subset of people in the WORLD that would know the importance of hearing both sides of a story,
it would be JUDGES!
I read in the Savannah Business Journal that a City Council member actually stated that Judge
Stokes should not be allowed to do any more damage. Based on NO EVIDENCE. Ive sat back
and watched as the Savannah Morning News called on her to resign, suggested she be reported to
the Judicial Qualifications Commission, and basically accuse her of literal murder. Based on NO
EVIDENCE.
Now that the actual truth is coming out, each and every person that has attacked Judge Stokes
based on no evidence and without waiting for complete information should be absolutely
ashamed.
How many people read the news coverage and believed that all along, this was an investigation
into Judge Stokes instead of two simple HR complaints against the Clerk of Court? I read a
letter to the editor on Sunday, where a gentleman named Paul from Rincon asked: How can
Judge Stokes possibly conduct an investigation into allegations which have been made against
her and claim that it is entirely independent, not one-sided, and unbiased? Now, do you think it
is an accident that Paul believed that this was an investigation of Judge Stokes based upon the
Citys behavior and the newspapers coverage?
Even worse, there are two bright, talented, brilliant women--Angela Barnes and Shadavia ScottBrown--who are now out of a job for NO REASON. All because someone had an agenda they
were determined to pursue without regard to how many laws were broken and how many lives
were ruined.
When you read the report and, more importantly, review the attached evidence, Im going to ask
you to answer one simple question: do you believe the right people got fired?
So now that the truth is finally coming out, I have a few challenges to issue. The first is to the
Office of the City Attorney and specifically Brooks Stillwell. The first thing Judge Stokes did
when the Supreme Court restored her full authority was to immediately reinstate Angela Barnes
and Shadavia Scott-Brown. I am calling on Brooks Stillwell to immediately cease his
interference with that process, return these two ladies to work and issue them a public apology.
I am calling on Superior Court to immediately withdraw their Writ of Prohibition.
I am calling on the new City Manager to root out this corruption from the source.

And I am calling on every reporter and news organization here today to investigate this
campaign against Judge Stokes and the Recorders Court of Chatham County, fully and
completely.
Enough is enough.
For months now, people have asked me why I have put my own reputation on the line for Judge
Stokes. Why am I taking on the whole City, and even the entire Superior Court? Well, that
answer is easy. Because I refuse to stand idly by when I see someone that is the victim of
rampant injustice. Because I still believe in right and wrong. And no matter who you are, I still
believe that the law applies equally to everyone. Too many people in this city have been treated
poorly, unfairly and unethically for far too long. And as long as I have anything to say about it,
that stops today.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my true honor and privilege to introduce Chief Judge
Tammy Stokes. Judge Stokes has taken every attempt to embarrass and discredit her, and
continued to stand tall. She is one of the strongest women I have ever met, and Savannah is
damn lucky to have her leading the Recorders Court of Chatham County. Ladies and
gentlemen, the Chief Judge of the Recorders Court of Chatham County: the Honorable Tammy
M. Stokes.