• Publication: The Athens Observer (Athens, Georgia)
• Author: Elton Manzione
• Original Publication Date: Thursday, June 13, 1996

Ed Tolley’s behind-the-scenes manipulation of the prosecution in Carol Purvis’ 1992 racketeering trial was also accompanied by efforts to derail the defense, according to information recently received by The Athens Observer.

Deedra Brewer, then a new attorney, has said in a sworn affidavit that Tolley solicited her to lodge a complaint with the state bar against Scott McLarty. McLarty had just been retained by Purvis to defend him in the racketeering trial.

McLarty had been representing Brewer’s husband Ken Brewer, who had been fired as head football coach during the 1990 Cedar Shoals grade-changing controversy. Brewer said she saw a potential conflict in McLarty’s representing Brewer in the civil matter and Purvis, who had been named in Brewer’s suit by virtue of his position as superintendent of schools, in the criminal case.

“When he was retained by Purvis, Scott agreed to withdraw from Ken’s case,” Brewer said. Brewer said she later realized there were no conflicts of interest between Purvis and her husband in the two cases.

Brewer said during a later conversation with Tolley about another case, he brought up McLarty’s representation of Purvis.

“He said, ‘I’ve been talking with some people and they think that’s a basis for a bar complaint. Why don’t you do that (file one),’” Brewer said.

Brewer said Tolley told her to call him later for assistance in filing the complaint.

“I never filed, and I never called him back,” she said.

Brewer said she was satisfied McLarty handled himself “ethically and honorably.”

“He was clean. I feel he did everything right,” she said.

Brewer added that if any potential conflict could have existed in the situation it was that McLarty could have learned things about Purvis which he could have used against Purvis in her husband’s case.

Tolley on the other hand, Brewer noted, had a potential conflict of his own in the making.

“Tolley went to Waycross to represent the coaches before the Georgia High School Athletics group,” Brewer said. She said later Tolley came up to her and told her he was representing the administration.

“He represented the coaches and the administration, then sold out the coaches to protect the administration,” she said.

Prior to Purvis’ indictment, Tolley had sent a series of hand-delivered letters to District Attorney Harry Gordon directing Gordon to sections of law Tolley felt could be applied to the prosecution of Purvis. One letter requested that Gordon let him know “immediately” of information the DA developed regarding criminal conduct on Purvis’ part.

One letter from Tolley, written almost two months before Purvis’ indictment, was titled “RE: Prosecution of Dr. Carol Purvis.”

Another letter suggested Tolley had dissuaded another person from reporting a federal crime to authorities in order to “first discuss the matter with [Gordon].”

All of the letters had been reviewed by trial Judge Joseph Gaines, but had not been provided to the defense. Tolley at the time was representing Gaines’ son Michael—in at least one civil and one criminal case, and possibly in connection with Michael’s reported involvement with the Jennifer Stone murder.