Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody resigned from his position on Monday after pleading guilty to groping TV judge Glenda Hatchett at a state sheriff's association event in January 2022. 

“He squeezed it. He then started rubbing on my breast until [DeKalb County Sheriff] Thomas Brown literally had to take his hand off of me and push him off,” Hatchett told the media after the guilty plea.

Hatchett said she froze during the incident and that it made her angry both at Coody and herself for not stopping him.

“I was absolutely frozen,” she said. “I never felt so helpless in my entire life. And I was angry frankly. I was angry I didn’t slap him.”

Deeply affected

“I never expected that I would be so deeply affected by this,” Hatchett told Messenger News about the assault. “I’ve never been the victim. I’ve been the advocate.”

“I had to file charges, there had to be accountability because the message needs to be clear that you cannot do this," she explained. "How dare you do this.”

Coody, a Democrat, was still in his position and receiving a salary until he resigned, even after the allegations against him went public.

He said he didn't "mean to" fondle Hatchett, but that it happened anyway.

“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,” Coody said in his resignation statement.

Hatchett blames Kemp

Hatchett slammed Governor Brian Kemp (R) for doing nothing about the allegations and accused him of keeping Coody on the payroll to try to protect his pension.

But it's not the only black mark on Coody's record; in fact, there was a massive cover-up in the county before he was ever elected in 2016.

The public was never told that Coody had resigned from Georgia State Patrol after 19 years of service after a domestic violence incident with a girlfriend.

He also let a 12-year-old drive his patrol car, which is illegal.

His record was sealed in 2016 when he ran for sheriff, so the public never knew about the incidents when they voted for him. It's not clear why state officials would have hidden these things or how Coody's election would have benefitted them.