The court case that touched

off questions about whether unlicensed drivers can operate golf carts

in Peachtree City began with a prosecutor who wanted to aggressively prosecute

a man facing his sixth DUI charge.

State Court Solicitor Steve

Harris wanted to "throw the book" at William T. Coker, 34, of

Peachtree City, Harris said.

"Because of his driving

record, it was my obligation to prosecute him to the fullest extent possible,"

Harris said. "And that included prosecuting the suspended license

charge."

Coker was convicted by a jury

of both counts, and State Court Judge Fletcher Sams sentenced Coker on

Jan. 10, 2002 to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine.

In the appeal, attorney Lloyd

Walker argued that Judge Sams should not have instructed the jury that

a driver's license was required to drive a golf cart on a public highway.

Walker also argued that the evidence wasn't sufficient for the conviction

and that Sams ruled the city's golf cart ordinance allowing unlicensed

drivers unconstitutional.

Sams told The Citizen that

he never ruled that the city's ordinance was unconstitutional, but he

said it would be unconstitutional for a city ordinance to supercede a

state ordinance.

The appeals court ruled that

Sams' actions in the case were proper and upheld Coker's conviction.

"I understand I may not

be too popular in some circles right now," Sams said Monday afternoon.

"But my oath of office was not taken to be politically popular;it's

to uphold the law. It's there and the law has to be respected until we

can legally change the law."

Coker was originally arrested

on the charges July 21, 2001 after 1 a.m. when Peachtree City police officer

Chris Robison saw him driving on Northlake Drive and Aberdeen Parkway.

Robison testified that he stopped Coker because it was "kind of suspicious

(with) it being 1:11 in the morning and that he's got the golf cart out

on the roadway."

Robison also testified that

there had been problems in the area with stolen golf carts in Aberdeen

Village and at the Wyndham Peachtree Executive Conference Center.

Coker was first charged with

driving while declared a habitual violator, which would have been in the

jurisdiction of the Superior Court, but that charge was later reduced

to DUI, putting the case in State Court, Harris said.

The jury also found Coker not

guilty of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

When Judge Sams sentenced Coker

after the jury's verdict he urged Coker to seek treatment while he is

incarcerated.

"Now, Mr. Coker, this

is not going to keep you in jail forever, but I am convinced if you don't

change your ways as soon as you get out, you're going to be another threat

to society," Sams said. "If I could, I would have sheriff (Randall)

Johnson jack up a corner of the jail and put you underneath it. But you

will get out some day...."

Coker was represented at the

trial by court-appointed attorney Linda Roeding Wells during the two-day

trial, which was prosecuted by assistant state court solicitor Lura Landis.

Although this issue has been

discussed by attorneys dating