By Joe Johnson
A Superior Court judge this week held in contempt Jason Hasty, senior assistant district attorney with the Western Judicial Circuit DA's Office for failing to make arrangements for a prisoner to appear in court for a status conference concerning an alleged probation violation.
Fredrick Ashmore was convicted of first-degree burglary in October 2015 and sentenced to serve two years in confinement and eight years on probation.
The 36-year-old Elbert County resident has subsequently been arrested four times for probation violations, most recently on Jan. 23.
According to court records, Judge Lawton Stephens ordered the DA's Office on May 24 "to prepare a transport order to have the defendant present for the probation status conference" that had been scheduled for Tuesday.
When Ashmore failed to appear in court for the conference, the judge continued the proceeding and gave the prosecutor a dressing down in a contempt order that stated how "the trial court is authorized to inflict summary punishment for any disobedience of a court officer."
Additionally, Stephens said, "In order to purge himself of contempt Mr. Hasty is ordered to pay $200 to the Boys and Girls Club."