The Georgia Supreme Court accepted the license surrender of an attorney
In his petition, Zeh, who has been a member of the Georgia Bar since 2001, admits that on August 16, 2021, in the Superior Court of Glynn County, he entered an Alford plea to one count of aggravated assault and one count of simple assault. He was sentenced under the First Offender Act, see OCGA § 42-8-60, and given a total sentence of five years to serve on probation, with credit received for time previously served in custody from August 21, 2019, to April 17, 2020.
The Brunswick News reported on the criminal proceedings
A well-known local defense attorney received bond Thursday after spending more than 180 days in the Glynn County jail under an extensive list of charges involving alleged violent acts against a former girlfriend.
Former public defender Reid Zeh, facing an 18-count indictment, was released on $50,000 bond.
Pretrial release conditions include electronic monitoring, alcohol use monitoring and mandatory participation in a family violence intervention program.
A Glynn County grand jury issued the indictment in November, charging him for actions committed in four different incidents.
The first, in November 2018, allegedly involved three acts of sexual battery, along with one count each of simple battery, simple assault, aggravated assault in violation of the state Family Violence Act, and false imprisonment.
The second incident, in July 2019, allegedly resulted in robbery by force, theft by taking, false imprisonment and two counts of aggravated assault in violation of the state Family Violence Act.
In August 2019, Zeh allegedly committed two acts of aggravated assault in violation of the state Family Violence Act, battery, robbery by sudden snatching and kidnapping.
Defense attorney Tom Withers cited caselaw which he said indicated dragging someone several feet wasn’t enough to satisfy the criminal law definition of kidnapping.
Prosecutor Sharla Jackson played a recording of the specific alleged incident, made by cameras the victim had installed in her St. Simons Island residence. According to the indictment, the video showed that Zeh held the woman against her will “when he dragged her from her home laundry room by pulling her left leg while she lay on her back on the floor into the hallway of her home, then straddling her to restrict her movement, then pushing her back to the floor when she attempts to rise, then dragging her by her arms, pulling her to stand upright and then pushing her backwards again away from the laundry room….”
Glynn County Police Investigator Parker Marcy testified that 17 of the 18 charges against Zeh are backed up with evidence detailed in the videos recorded at the victim’s home.
The 18th charge is for influencing a witness. Zeh allegedly instructed the victim to contact the magistrate judge and “fix it.”
Withers said the victim was the first to use the phrase “fix it” in the series of text messages between the pair. As revealed through testimony Thursday, the victim, aided by police, used that particular conversation as a method to try to discover Zeh’s location so police could arrest him.
A number of Zeh’s family and friends testified as character witnesses on his behalf. They and more than a dozen others also submitted letters to the court on Zeh’s behalf.
The letters all described a similar sentiment as expressed by Dr. James Snow. Snow, a family friend who, according to testimony, is like a second father to Zeh, said on the stand and in his letter how his son, Zeh, and their families have been close for more than 40 years.
“While we do not understand how what we heard in court could describe our ‘other son,’ we can only offer that he is caring, kind, compassionate and funny,” Snow wrote in a letter to the court. “He is tied to his birth family, to his wife and children, and to his love for his work. I do not believe that his gaining bond would result in his leaving the Brunswick area. His respect for the courts and his self-respect would not allow him to do so.”
Prosecuting attorney Jackson countered several times during the hearing that Zeh showed disrespect for the court. While on probation and prohibited from consuming alcohol, he allegedly got intoxicated and assaulted the victim 20 days after his probation sentence, Jackson said. That sentence came after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving, which carried a lesser penalty than the original DUI charge.
Because of Zeh’s lengthy professional and personal life in the county, local prosecutors and judges recused themselves.
Jackson, a domestic violence and sexual assault resource prosecutor with the state Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, was apointed to the case with Sheila Ross, director of capital litigation for the council.
Judge David Cavender is the presiding judge.
A motions and pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18.
Jury selection will be on Sept. 21 if the case goes to trial.
(Mike Frisch)
