Though former Washington County Solicitor Michael Howard is no longer prosecuting cases, recent testimony given in a pending civil suit pertaining to a bail bonding business suggests prosecution of Howard himself may not be off the table should the right investigating agency come along.
Howard stepped away from his position in July 2025 amid a myriad of accusations of unethical misdeeds, including claims of of collusion with defense attorneys on DUI cases, prosecution of cases in state court for the same clients he was representing in superior court, and having an indirect interest in a bail bond company that operates in Washington County, a practice expressly prohibited under Georgia law.
Washington County Bail Bonding LLC was, for a period of time, owned by Emory Dean Wilcher Sr, the father of Amy Wilcher Howard who is married to Michael Howard. Georgia law prohibits elected officials, officers of the court, attorneys, and law enforcement officers from having a direct or indirect interest in a bail bond business, for obvious reasons. The Howards have professed that the business belonged to Amy Howard’s father and they had no involvement.
But testimony offered during a deposition earlier this month suggests that Amy and Michael’s roles may have been previously understated, and even their own attorneys have conceded that Amy’s involvement could be problematic.
Civil Suit Against the Howards, bail bond business, et al.
In September 2025, Peggy Cooper and Corey Womble filed a civil suit against Amy & Michael Howard, Emory Dean Wilcher Sr., Washington County Bail Bonding LLC, and an employee of the company, Blake Moye.
The suit alleges that Amy and Michael Howard participated in a fraudulent and extortionate scheme “orchestrated to extract unlawful payments” for bonding from the Washington County Jail, among other things.
While the civil matter is still pending in Washington County Superior Court, as it has progressed, additional context to the claims against Michael Howard during his time as Solicitor General in Washington County have been revealed.
In a Motion to Dismiss filed in October 2025, an attorney for Michael and Amy Howard included a footnote in his filing which read:
“OCGA 45-11-8(a) bars “any elected official, officer of the court, law enforcement officer, or attorney in this state to engage either directly or indirectly in the bail bond business.” Any involvement by Defendant Mrs. Howard would violate this statute because any profit due Mrs. Howard would constitute marital property under Georgia law.”
Transcript of Deposition of Michael Howard’s Father-In-Law
On January 9, 2026, a deposition of Emory Dean Wilcher Sr was taken under oath as part of the pending civil suit.
- Ben Sessions of Sessions & Fleishman LLC appeared on behalf of Cooper and Womble.
- Lee Cannon out of McRae appeared on behalf of Washington County Bail Bonding Agency LLC, Emory Dean Wilcher Sr., and Blake Moye.
- Matthew Wilson of Bell Wilson Law LLC was present on behalf of Michael Howard and Amy Wilcher Howard, as well as Washington County Bail Bonding Agency LLC, Emory Dean Wilcher Sr. and Blake Moye
During the deposition, Wilcher was asked a host of questions, including how he got into the bail bonding business. He said he knew the Sheriff, Joel Cochran, and “it just came up that maybe a bond company would be a good business” so he looked into it, talked to the Sheriff, and got qualified to do it. He first took the certification class for bail bonding in 2023 and then again in 2024. He told attorneys that he did not take the class in 2025 because he sold the company in June of that year.
Notably, Washington County Bail Bonding Agency was the first ever bail bonding company based in Washington County.
Michael & Amyl Howard Assisted Wilcher with Formation Formalities for the Bail Bonding Company
Wilcher testified that he inquired with Michael Howard about what would need to be done in order for him to form the bonding company. According to Wilcher, Howard instructed Wilcher to obtain a property and casualty license, which Howard stated was a state requirement. Wilcher also stated that Amy Howard assisted him in coming up with the business name and she was the one to file the paperwork with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, though she filed an e-signature with Wilcher’s name on it in October 2022.
Amy Howard Had Access to Company Bank Accounts, Withdrew At Will
Wilcher told attorneys that the bail bonding had two bank accounts – one for operations and a smaller account to place a percentage of bonds as a hold back for bond forfeitures. The operating account was used to pay one employee, Blake Moye, rent, utilities, and for profits. Wilcher also stated that his daughter would draw funds from that account and that she “was on the signature card to make, to write checks on the company bank account.”
Q: Did you pay Amy Howard from that account?
A: No. I did not pay her.
Q: Did Amy Howard ever withdraw money from that account?
A: Yes.
Q: Did she ever withdraw money without your account – your permission from that account?
A: No.
Q: She always asked you for her – for your permission to withdraw money?
A: She had a blanket approval to take whatever money she needed.
Q: So you said –
A: I trusted her.
When asked how much money Amy Howard withdrew from the account for the bonding company, Wilcher testified that he did not know.
Q: All right. Could just use the money in there as she saw fit?
A: Yes.
Q: How much did you all agree that you would be paid from the bonding company?
A: Five percent
Q: You got paid 5 percent of the total revenue of the bonding company?
A: Per month, yes.
Q: Blake Moye is an employee of the company?
A: Yes.
Q: You are an owner of the company?
A: Yes.
Q: And you get five percent of the revenue?
A: Yes, which is less than he makes.
Q: Yes, sir. And where’s the rest of the money going?
A: It’s in the bank account.
Q: And who gets – who gets it?
A: Nobody.
Q: It’s still there?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Do you even have access to the statements for the account?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you ever look at them?
A: No.
Wilcher testified later in the deposition that the 5% constituted ‘some spending money.’ and that was fine with him. While the 5% was attached to his own tax return filings, Wilcher stated Amy Howard was never issued a W-2 or 1099 document for any money she withdrew.
When asked about decision making and the Howards, Wilcher said there was a line drawn between bonds and money earned on those bonds.
Q: Did you all always make those joint decisions?
A: Well, it depends on what the question is, what the, you know, we were trying to decide.
Q: Involving the bail bonding company?
A: No. No. Amy and Michael had nothing to do with the bail bonding company. Amy wrote checks because I insisted that she does that, okay, because I wanted somebody I could trust; but as far as running the company, I owned it, Blake ran it.
Q: And whenever you say that she had nothing to do with the company, she had carte blanche access to the checking account?
A: She had nothing to do with bonds.
Q: She had – – she definitely had something to do with the money part of – – side of the company, right?
A: Yes, but nothing to do with issuing bonds and that type thing – -.
Later in the deposition, Wilcher stated that he and Amy Howard decided how much money he would receive in profits.
Q: She can control the flow of money out – out of the account?
A: Yes.
Q: And you and Amy had a predetermined agreement that you would get paid 5 percent of the revenue?
A: That’s right.
Q: She got to control that percentage?
A: Excuse me?
Q: She controlled that percentage, that 5 percent percentage?
A: I don’t understand what you’re saying.
Q: You and her agreed on the 5 percent percentage?
A: Yes.
According to Wilcher, Amy Howard also had access to online billing for the bail bonding company.
Bail Bonding Company Sold to Kin of Someone Kin to the Sheriff
Wilcher testified that the bail bonding company was sold in June 2025 to someone he had never met and who lived in West Georgia – Matt Cagle.
Q: And how did you meet him?
A: I did not meet him?
Q: How did you talk to him?
A: He is kin to somebody who is kin to the Sheriff, and he was in the bail bond business and was looking for something to do down here. I think his plan was to move here. I don’t know if he has yet or not. So they made – – a written offer through Michael to purchase the – made an offer, you know, to purchase.
Q: Matt is kin to somebody that is kin to the Sheriff?
A: Yes. He is – – okay. The Sheriff’s sister, okay, her husband is cousins with Matt.
…
Q: And you never actually spoke with Mr. Cagle?
A: I’ve never seen him.
Q: All right. The transaction was handled solely through Michael?
A: Through the company, through the law – – law firm, yes.
Wilcher said the company was sold for $200,000 and while he never saw the offer himself, he did see a check that he deposited into his account. He said Cagle assumed all outstanding bonds at the time of the sale and the documentation attesting at much was at Michael Howard’s law office.
Amy Howard on Social Media
Howard’s wife has made a number of claims on social media, to include claiming that the civil suit filed against her and others was ‘retaliation’ because she posted on social media in defense of her husband who she says had been the victim of “character assassination” and harassment.
Amy Howard also posted photos of the home of the attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, with his listed address, and his vehicle with the license plate along with admonitions of members of the media who have criticized Howard and former clients who have spoken out against Howard’s practices.
