All Coweta County Sheriff

Mike Yeager wants to do is his job, he said.

Lately, though, Yeager says he is having trouble getting some of

his cases prosecuted by solicitor Robert Stokely.

Yeager told the Coweta County commissioners Tuesday that his office

and the Georgia Department of Revenue did a sting operation in May

against some retail establishments that had been accused of selling

alcohol to underage patrons.

Yeager said four people were arrested in the county and two in Newnan

for selling alcohol to minors.

Later in the summer, Yeager learned Stokely decided not to pursue

the cases.

"He [Stokely] told me it was his job to look at the law and

he saw nothing in these cases that would warrant doing anything

further," Yeager said.

After learning the cases were closed, Yeager talked to state Attorney

General Thurbert Baker, who said it looked like the cases were fairly

strong.

The sheriff said the evidence was videotapes of the undercover and

underage agents going into a store, pulling an alcoholic beverage

out of the cooler and paying for it.

"The only thing that was said between the cashier and the agent

was the price," he said.

The sheriff said he was bringing the information to the commission's

attention, because he had heard complaints in the community about

the cases not being prosecuted.

Several of the commissioners bristled after the sheriff's presentation.

"It's a waste of taxpayers' money. We can't have a solicitor

arbitrarily selecting the cases," said Commissioner Lawrence

Nelms.

Yeager said he just wanted the board to know that he was doing his

job.

"To me it was a clear violation," he said.