Polk County’s State Senator came out with a statement on Thursday evening in a release over allegations made recently about misconduct within the Tallapoosa Circuit Drug Court, headed up by Superior Court Chief Judge Meng Lim.

Anavitarte released the following statement on the issue via e-mail:

ATLANTA (December 9, 2021) | Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas) issued the following statement in response to recent reports of misconduct in the Tallapoosa Circuit Drug Court:

“The recent mismanagement of the Tallapoosa Circuit Drug Court has put at risk the foundations of our judicial system, along with recent formal accusations for willful misconduct and conduct detrimental to the administration of justice. If we are going to support law enforcement and defend the Constitution, the Court must be able to function to do so. A backlog of cases is presently creating a detriment to the judicial process; along with the expectations from the taxpayers that their judicial circuit (is) managed properly has been completely neglected. Constant sideshows and accused improprieties in our judiciary have no place in our courts nor elected office.”

Polk.Today sought further comment from Anavitarte, but he did not have anything further to say or report about the misconduct allegations at this time.

The statement comes in the aftermath of the resignation of the Drug Court Coordinator Vann Blankenship in mid-November. Since then, Polk.Today has confirmed from sources that wished to remain anonymous that an investigation is underway into the misconduct allegations. That investigation is being conducted by the state’s Council for Accountability Court Judges, who oversees Georgia’s accountability courts like the Tallapoosa Circuit Drug Court.

In a resignation letter obtained by Polk.Today, Blankenship alleged that the Drug Court’s contractor Center Beyond Solutions, LLC failed to meet a number of contract requirements that were set forth in when they signed an agreement earlier this year.

Those allegations included but weren’t limited to completing assessments in a reasonable timeline for individuals who were enrolled since September, that the organization is failing to meet with individuals for the required amount of time in classes, that they are refusing to transport participants, using non-certified, non-clinical staff to conduct assessments at the jail, and more.

He recently took on the new role of the Coordinator for a new grant from the CDC’s Drug Prevention Program to increase the role of Polk Against Drugs in the community.

Judge Lim, who runs the Drug Court, is already facing a Judicial Qualification Commission hearing in early 2022 facing charges involving the drug court and a personal relationship he had with a Superior Court Clerk’s office employee.

He is up for re-election in 2022 and has already announced his intention to retain his seat on the bench for Haralson and Polk Counties.

State Sen. Anavitarte is the first state-level official to make a formal statement on the conduct of Judge Lim locally.

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