Judge Reviews Motions in Jeremy Green Case

As the trial of Jeremy Green moves closer, his attorney was back in Hart County Superior Court Thursday, arguing her motions to have certain statements barred from being used as evidence during his trial.

Green was indicted in August 2021 on six counts of child molestation and rape while employed at the Bell Family YMCA in Hartwell.

The indictment alleges Green molested and raped “a teenage girl under the age of 16 from July 2015 to November 2015.” That girl was later identified as Jennifer Cobb.

Green has pled not guilty. He was released on a $250,000 bond and has been under house arrest since then.

Jennifer Cobb died in June 2021 shortly after he was released on bond.

Thursday his attorney, Nancy Tomlinson, asked Superior Court Judge Chris Phelps to throw out forensic evidence and bar certain statements made by Jennifer to the GBI when she was 14 as well as statements she made later to the GBI, family, and others when she was an adult.

Tomlinson also asked to have statements Jennifer made in her journal documenting her alleged experiences with Green be thrown out.

She argued that under the Constitution her client has a right to face his accuser in court but because Jennifer Cobb is deceased he cannot do that.

Therefore, the statements she made and her journal should be regarded as hearsay under Georgia’s Hearsay rule.

District Attorney Parks White cited a Georgia Supreme Court case in which Justices ruled a diary written by a murder victim was admissible as evidence in court.

Superior Court Judge Chris Phelps asked if Tomlinson had read all of Jennifer’s statements and her journal and which of those statements she specifically wanted thrown out.

Tomlinson said she had not read everything yet but would do so and would resubmit her motion with the exact statements she wants removed.

Tomlinson also asked that testimony by Jennifer’s mother Susan regarding the practice of grooming by sexual predators during a bond hearing in September also be inadmissible stating Susan Cobb is not an expert witness on sexual predators.

White said the State had no plans to have Susan Cobb testify as an expert witness regarding sexual predators.

Another motion by Tomlinson requested she be able to question potential jurors independently instead of as a group and that she be allowed to send them surveys ahead of coming in for jury selection.

She cited pretrial publicity over the past two years likely means most Hart County residents had heard of the case or read about it in the paper or on social media.

Judge Phelps said he believes that would allow potential jurors who had not heard of the case to research it online and develop opinions ahead of jury selection and the trial.

Ultimately, Judge Phelps decided to proceed with the normal jury selection process and decide at that time whether a potential juror would need to be interviewed separately.

He added it would not be clear until jury selection whether the trial should be moved to another county because it would depend on whether they would be able to find 12 jurors in Hart County who would be impartial.

Judge Phelps indicated there will likely be one more motion hearing day before the trial.

Tomlinson said she would resubmit her revised motions by November 16.

So far no trial date has been announced.