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STAItsiOFGEORGI

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STATEOF GEORGIA.
Plaintifi,
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\-TJSUFSHABAZZ.
Defendelt.

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NO : Rl54116
C,A.SE

MOTION FOR, R.E.CL'ISALOF'CTL{THANI COI.JT{TYDISTRICT ATTORNEY.

ME,G IIEA_P ,{ND ALL OF TTERASSISTANTS
1-LISUF SH.AB,47-2.through unrJersignedcounsel. respeclfirlly rnoves this Court,
pursuant to the Fourth. Fifth, SiI1h, and Fourleentl Amerrdments to the United States
I. Il. ]V. V. VII. tX, X, XI, XiI. XIII, XIV" XVI. X-VII- XVm'
Consritution,Article I, $ I, t'I,'ti
rc{fv

qnd )O(\.III of the Constitution of the State of Georgia a.swell as and ali other applicable

constitutional standardsand jurispnrdential authority to recusefhe District Atiomey- Meg Fle'ap

anclall olher assistnntsfrom the prosecutionoFthe above-stvledcase'
In suppor! counselstates:
yUSLIF SFIABAZZ is chargedwrth i) leaving sconeo[ an accidentand failirg to
give aid/info ii) reckless drirring. and iii) drii,ing on wrong .sidc of roadway under
Rl5471, a c&securrentlypendingrn ChathamCquntl' StateCourl
Accu^sation#
yusuf Shabazz,ths Defendant. is an eleated Chatham County Commissioner in
of
Savannah.Georgia. The District Attorney. I\4eg Heap, is also an elected official
ChathamCountl--In visiting the ChathanLCc'un6'Commissioner'swebsite' Meg Heapis
lisled on the same websitc as the det-endant.Defendant arguesthat the Chatha.rrCor-rnt1'

voting on ar#or fina-ncingrssues

Commissioners have some direct involvernent with
This hcludes but is not limited to
related ro chatham County Distrid Aftomey's crfiice.
Attorney's Office" Defendant asserts
approvilg the budget for Chatham County Disfrct
of professionalimproprrietyin this caseas a result'
that there is an appearance
9 fof the code of
All atlorneys. puhlic and private, are bound by canon
pmfessionalimpropl.iel'y-'"
r.-rf
professionalResponsibilitylto "avoid event},e apparance
and the Nationa'l Prosecution
Additionall!', the National Distriqt Attorney Association
hold an interest or enEaSIiin actiyities'
Starrdardsprovides thal a prosecutor should not
potential to
financial or otherwise. that conl'lict, have a significant

conflict' or are likely

of the
appearanceof conflict with the d'utiesand responsibilitie's
to createa rea-sonable
officc,
prosccrttcn's
Counq' Commissioner
ln the presentcase.the Defendantas irn electeclCbatharn
in voting r:n the budget tbr chatbam
in savannah.Georgla rr,,hovotes and/or bas a role
sppearimceof conflict with the
Couiltr, District Attorney's office gives a rea-qonable
Meg Harp' Defendant
rJutiesand rcsponsibilitiesof the lhe District Attomey Ofnce.
bave some direct invoiveme'trt
ar$-les that becausethe chatham county c.ommissioners
countl' District Attorney^s
with voting orr and/or financing issuesrelated to chatham
assistantshave some conflistine
offlce. Chatham County District Attomey and her
thereof is likely to create a
interest rn prosecuting this case and the prosecution
responsibilitiesof the prosecutor's
reasonableappearsnceof conflict with the duties and
office^
excusehimself or hersclf
ThcrefOre.Defendant assrtsthat the prosecutorshould
rvhere--' intercstsoFthe proSecutor
frOm any investigation,Prosecution,or other matter
to conclude that the prosecutor's
would. cause a fiair-minded, ob-iectiveobserver

manner ma1' be
neutrE]ity. Judgrrcrrl or ability to administer the iaw in an objective
compromised The questionis nnt whetherthe prosecutoris impartiai

in fact' It is simply

impartial' might
whether another"not knowing r,vhetheror not the prosecutor is acfually
rcasonablyquestionher irnpartialitvon the basisof all the circumstances'
prevent the
Where an acfual or potential conflict of intcrest exisls that "vould
the ptosectrtor"s
prosecutor'soflice fiom investigatingo? prosecutinga criminal mafier,
"special pmsecutor"' or refsr ti'c
office shoulcl appoint. or seek tlre appointment of a
hy law- Here. it is clear that
matter to the epFnopriategovernmentalauthoritl' as required
an actual or a potential conflict of interest exists
It

should l-, understoocl tlrat the tlnjted

Stgtes Constitution requires

Court held ln Rg
d:squalifical.ion,"vherethere is an1'hint of impropriety. The Supreme
(1955),that:
Murqhisan.]49 LI S l]3. 136.75.5S.Ct'623,99L.Ed' 942
requirementof due proce'ss.
fal firir tnal in a fair tribulal is a basic
trial of
F"i*"*o of cotusc req,,,rcs an absenceof actual hias in the
preyent
to
endeavored
cases. But our system .f 1a*' has always
even the probablli$' of unfairngss' ' '
Court
Thrs Defendantand his counselherebyplacesthe Stateand this Honorahle
unintentionally auy
on notice that he has not. is not and will not waive. intentionally or
recusalissuein this caqe.
will deprive
The failure of this Cowt to recursethe Dishict Attomey's Ofiice
ylsLrF

s[L\BAzz

guarantee'sto: a
of the independentstete and fedsral constitulional

protectionof the ialv'q'

fair trial. arld riglrt to presenta defcnse,due processof law' equal
Iv:' V. VII' Ix' L XI'
and a reliableverdict and sentence.Ga. Const.art. I. $ I, TlflI' II,
XII.XITI-XIV.XVLX\TI'XVIII,XTVandXXVIII;U'S'Const'amend'V'VI'and
XIV.

WHEREFORE,this Defendantrespecfi ly rcguests.

(a)

that Distict Attomey Meg Heap and all of her assistantsbe recusedpursuant to
the U S. Constitution guanmteesof due process and lair trial and in accordance
with the Code of ProfessionalResponsibititya-swell in accordsltcewith National
District Attorney's AssociationStandardsof Conduct and othcr authoritiescited
herein.and tlat thjs casebe assignedto a specialprosecrrtor;or, in the alternative;

(b)

that th-ismatter be a'ssignedto another district Bttorne;r'5office for a full' tait and
adequatehearing on the matter and that upon zuch hearing an order be entered
disqualifoing District Atlorney Meg Heap and a-ll of her assistantsfrom
prosecutingthis case;or. in the alternative:

\Ll

that.District Aftorney Meg Heap and all of her assistantscertify this issue tbr
irnmediate review to thc Georgia Supreme Courl in the event this motion is
deniedr,vithouta hearing:and

(d)

all such other relief to which this Defendartmay be cntifled.

.,J!)

DATED this il"

day of

. 2 0 16 .

ie O. Burgess.
Esq.
StateBar No. 435162
Atlorney for the Defend.ilt

CERTTFICATE OF SERVTCE

Therebt' certifl that a cop;' of the foregoing motion has been mailed to Thc Office of the
DistrictAltorney for Chatham Cowrty via fir.st-classl-lnitsd StatesPostsl Service anctvia hand
delivery this 11th day of .Ianuary.2016.

StateBarNo. a35162
Afiomevfor Defendant.Yusuf Sbabazz

IN THE STATECOURT OF CFIATHAM COU}I-IY

STATE OF GEORGIA
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STATEOF GEORGIA,

Plaintiff.

C A S EN O . :R l 5 4 7 1 6

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v.

\-LTSIJFSI{ABAZZ.

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Defendant.

ORDER
heing otherurse
IJpon considerationof Yusuf Shabazz' Motion to Recuse,the Court
sufhciently advised.and good gtoundsappeariagtherefore,
MEE HCAPANdA1I
IT rS HEREBY ORDERED AND DECREED, thAt DigtTiCtAttOTNClI
are herebyrecusedand a specialprosecutorbe appointed'
of her a-ssistants

so ORDEREDrhjs

dayof

. 2016

Presiding.Iuclge.StateCor-rt
Stateof Geotgla
Preparedb.v-:
StephanieO. Burgess,Etq.
StateBar No. 435161
Attomev lrrr Detendant