Pubdate: Sat, 01 Mar 2003 Source: Savannah Morning News (GA) Copyright: 2003 Savannah Morning News Contact: http://www.savannahnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401 Author: Tuck Thompson WIRETAPPING COST VIDALIA INSURER THOUSANDS IN LEGAL FEES Vidalia's insurance company not only paid $75,000 to settle a federal lawsuit when top city officials wiretapped a GBI agent, but also shelled out $43,726.83 in legal fees to represent the mayor, city manager and police chief. GBI Agent Vickey Horton Tapley accused the men of wiretapping her cordless telephone calls in 1997 and using illegally obtained transcripts to get her removed from criminal investigations in Vidalia. One of her probes focused on allegations that the city manager was using cocaine; another involved the suspicious death of a man the city manager thought he chased away from the bedroom window of his daughter. The Georgia 11th Circuit Court of Appeals held the officials had "qualified immunity" and were not personally liable for their actions. All continue in their same positions. Vidalia officials and the Macon law firm that represented them at a rate of $90 an hour declined to provide records of the legal fees sought under the state's Open Records law. Mary M. Katz, an attorney with Chambless, Higdon & Carson, ducked the records request by saying she was paid by Titan Insurance Co. rather than the city. Titan has been taken over by The St. Paul Companies of Minnesota. The firm released the fees reluctantly after initially claiming they were subject to attorney-client privilege. The Vidalia's insurance company also made a settlement of $10,000 to GBI supervisor Glynn Meeks, who was on the other end of Tapley's phone line when the chief listened to their conversation. Meeks died of a heart attack during the three-year court battle with Vidalia officials. His settlement was collected by his widow. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens