A Superior Court Judge from the Brunswick Judicial Circuit will preside over the criminal cases against a Long County Commissioner and a local businessman.
An order filed in Long County Superior Court on Tuesday indicates that Superior Court Judge Anthony L. Harrison will handle future proceedings involving the County Commissioner Robert Parker and businessman Tony Fowler who were arrested in February. Parker faces six felony offenses, including Theft by Taking, Violation of Oath, Aggravated Assault, and RICO, while Fowler faces two felony Theft by Taking charges.
The Superior Court Judges in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit recused themselves on March 4, roughly a week after the arrest of Parker due to the fact that Long County commissioners appropriate funds to the judicial offices in the circuit, which also includes Bryan, Evans, Liberty, McIntosh, and Tattnall counties. Superior Court Judge Jay Stewart is the Administrative Judge for the First Judicial Circuit, the division responsible for appointments of other judges, but due to his recusal at the county level, the matter was transferred to the Eastern Judicial Circuit for outside evaluation. Judge John E. Morse Jr. provided the temporary assistance and appointed Harrison.
The Order was signed by Morse on March 14, 2025, but was not filed by the Long County Clerk of Court’s Office until April 22.
Harrison started practicing law in 1981 and worked in private practice until he became a judge in January 2009. The Brunswick Judicial Circuit encompasses Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis, and Wayne counties.
Over the course of his career, Harrison has presided over a number of high profile cases including one involving former Glynn County Police Officer James Cassada, another involving the Kings Bay Sailor charged with the death of his son, and the 2010 double slaying in Camden County. He also made headlines for recusing himself from a case involving Congressman Buddy Carter.
Little action, if any, is expected on either case unless and until Parker and Fowler are indicted by a grand jury.
The District Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case for the same reasons, so Michael Tabarrok from the Georgia Attorney General’s Office has handled matters thus far. Notably, Tabarrok opposed bond for both, citing flight risks and dangers to the community before he agreed to consent bonds just a week later.
I hope they send them both and any others to prison. Too much has been swept under the rug and they have continued to break the laws.