Several prominent individuals in Fulton County, including Commissioner Marvin Arrington, District Attorney Fani Willis, the Fulton County Ethics Board, and Fulton County itself have been hit with a lawsuit. The plaintiff, Georgia Rep. Mesha Mainor, who is involved in a criminal case related to stalking, has brought forth this legal action. She has accused Commissioner Arrington of mishandling the case initially, and later on, alleged that District Attorney Willis mishandled it.
Mainor, who represents Atlanta’s 56th District, gained attention in July 2023 when she switched from the Democrat party to the Republican party. This decision came after she reportedly faced harassment for diverging from the party’s stance on private school vouchers and prosecutor oversight.
The lawsuit provides a detailed timeline, starting from January 2019 when Mainor hired Corwin Monson, a businessman, as a campaign volunteer. However, due to Monson’s disruptive behavior, Mainor dismissed him in February 2019. Unfortunately, the situation escalated into stalking after his termination. Despite legal actions, such as obtaining a Temporary Protective Order (TPO), Monson’s behavior eventually led to aggravated stalking charges.
The lawsuit claims that Commissioner Arrington, who has a close association with Monson, exerted undue influence within the District Attorney’s Office. It is alleged that Arrington bypassed established policies and negotiated plea deals, compromising the integrity of the legal process. These actions were said to be in favor of Monson, allowing him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Furthermore, Arrington is accused of conspiring to have the judge removed from the case.
After recorded phone calls between Arrington and Monson came to light, Arrington resigned as Monson’s attorney in December 2020. This left District Attorney Willis responsible for the adjudication process.
According to the lawsuit, DA Willis failed to conduct a proper investigation into Monson’s charges and offered lenient plea deals that were inconsistent with established policies and victim rights laws. Mainor accuses Willis of intentionally dismissing valid claims against Monson, showing favoritism towards Arrington, neglecting to prosecute Monson’s probation violations, and disregarding Arrington’s biased relationship.
