A warrant taken out by investigators with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for a woman they say was harassing the sheriff himself has been recalled by a judge.
The news was initially published by Will Rioux of WRDW who has extensively covered Williams’ shenanigans in Burke County.
At issue was a warrant signed by Magistrate Judge Clifford Carter for Harassing Communications taken out by BCSO in May of 2025. According to investigators, Traci Hollingsworth texted Sheriff Alfonzo Williams on his personal cell phone, though not repeatedly, and made posts on social media. Harassing Communications is a misdemeanor offense in Georgia punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Hollingsworth has been a vocal opponent of Williams for years and her husband is a former employee of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. She has also worked as an organizer of the planned recall effort to remove Williams from office.
According to Hollingsworth’s social media posts, she was contacted by BCSO on June 6 and instructed to turn herself in by Monday, June 9. In the recorded call posted on social media, investigators would not share with Hollingsworth what she did to constitute a violation of the law. On June 9, a “B.O.L.O” image was posted on the Burke County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, notifying the public that Hollingsworth was wanted by law enforcement.
Hollingsworth retained legal counsel and appeared before the court to have the warrant recalled on the basis of no criminal acts being committed and protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Will Rioux of WRDW reported after the court proceedings that the incident report for the case revealed “several incorrect and/or missing dates” in both the narrative and supplementals.
Chief Magistrate Judge Cynthia Kelley recalled the warrant Tuesday according to paperwork filed in Magistrate Court. The recall order notes: “After clarification of the incident report and investigators testimony, information that was not provided to the court at the time of signing the warrant, the Court finds that there is no probable cause on which to issue a warrant.”
The decision follows a litany of well-established case law which protects the First Amendment right of citizens, especially against elected officials.
The warrant was signed by Magistrate Judge Clifford Carter who, according to the State Bar of Georgia Membership Directory, is not a lawyer.
