A Black woman in North Georgia has seen her new career as an elected official get off to a rocky start after her attempt to go to the local sheriff’s office for help led to her arrest.
Almost a month after Commerce City Councilwoman Roshuanda Merritt was sworn into office, she was arrested on felony charges of marijuana distribution.
Ironically, the charges came after the 43-year-old lawmaker asked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to intervene against someone who had allegedly posted inappropriate photographs of her on social media, Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said.
“She reached out for help and filed a report about inappropriate photos. She was the victim,” Mangum said to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia law criminalizes the distribution of sexually explicit images without the consent of the person depicted. Sharing revenge porn is considered a felony when a person posts a sexually explicit image on a website. In such cases, the offender may face a prison sentence of one to five years and/or a fine of up to $100,000.
If the act involves posting the explicit content on any other electronic platform, it is treated as an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 12 months and a fine of $5,000.
After starting an investigation, the JCSO discovered evidence pointing to a different crime where the public school teacher-turned-politician was placed under the microscope.
Merritt allegedly sent a photo of four THC-infused gummies packages with the text message:“Let her know if anyone wanted to purchase said gummies,” according to an arrest warrant, the AJC reports.
“At that point, I stopped my investigation and requested the GBI,” Mangum continued. “I felt like it would be best for them to become involved because of her position (on the Commerce City Council) and because she was a (Jackson County) school employee.”
The JCSO handed over discovery, pictures, and text…
Read the full article here
