Steven Butler of Ball Ground told the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 that he was placing the board on formal notice alleging local practices violate the U.S. Constitution.

"My name is Steven Butler…I'm a civil rights advocate here in Cherokee County," Butler said during public comment, and he read a formal notice he said had been filed in related venues. Butler argued that charging by information — a Georgia practice — conflicts with Clause 1 of the Fifth Amendment and said that, in his view, funding or directing officials to act outside the Constitution could amount to a criminal emolument violation. He said civil rights litigator Tanawa Downing had raised a related matter before the U.S. Supreme Court and that he had recently served the Georgia Public Safety Committee with a similar notice.

Butler asked the board to "review Clause 1 of the Fifth Amendment, verify the truth of these statements, and ensure all County officials act in full constitutional compliance," and he handed a formal notice to the clerk for the record.

Chairman Johnson thanked Butler for his remarks and the board moved on to the evening's agenda items. The board did not take any immediate action on Butler's notice at the meeting.