Georgia Sheriff Pleads Guilty To Groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett

Former Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody has resigned from the position and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery after groping Judge Glenda Hatchett during a January 2022 incident.

Coody was sentenced to one year of probation, according to the Associated Press’ Aug. 21 reporting. Judge Carl Bowers also ordered the disgraced former sheriff to pay a $500 fine and do 400 hours of community service for his guilty plea. In a statement Coody released on Monday, he mentioned that he’d stepped down from his role as the Sheriff of Bleckley County, which he’s held since 2017.

“To be clear, I had no intent to touch Ms. Hatchett inappropriately. Unfortunately, I acted in a careless manner and for that, I have taken full responsibility for my actions,” the disgraced former sheriff’s statement read in part noted 13WMAZ.

The former sheriff’s attorney, Joel Pugh, highlighted that his client sent a resignation letter to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

Judge Hatchett — most known for her eponymous TV show and The Verdict With Judge Hatchett — claimed Coody groped her breast following an event for the Georgia Sheriff’s Association.

Hatchett claimed she asked Coody details about his home county at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Bar after the law enforcement conference. The judge alleged Coody pointed at her chest and replied, “In the heart of Georgia,” before he groped her left breast.

Former DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown — who hosted Hatchett at the event — stopped Coody’s groping after the judge went into shock.

“He so violated me, and at that moment, I felt so powerless,” the TV personality and legal authority told the AP on Monday. “I see myself as a strong woman. I have never been a victim, and I felt it was important for there to be accountability.”

As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, Coody has a history of misconduct. Read about that and Hatchett’s history both in and out of daytime courtroom TV in our initial of the groping incident.