- Collection:
- WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection
- Title:
- Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of Attorney General Arthur K. Bolton explaining his report alleging corruption on the Georgia State Pardons and Paroles Board, and J. W. Claxton being interviewed about that report, Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 December 13
- Creator:
- WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
- Contributor to Resource:
- Whipkey, Jim
Bolton, Arthur K. (Arthur Key), 1922-
Claxton, J. W. (Joseph Wilbur), 1911-1986 - Date of Original:
- 1967-12-13
- Subject:
- Attorneys general opinions--Georgia
Parole boards--Government employees
Political corruption--Georgia
Parole boards--Corrupt practices
Pardon--Georgia
Parole--Georgia
Attorneys general--Georgia
Prisoners--Georgia
Georgia--Officials and employees - People:
- Claxton, J. W. (Joseph Wilbur), 1911-1986
Garrett, Rebecca L.
Summerlin, W. Newsom (William Newsom), 1905-1976
Oates, Forrest C.
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798 - Medium:
- moving images
news
unedited footage - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- In this series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips from Atlanta, Georgia on December 13, 1967, Attorney General Arthur K. Bolton explains his report alleging corruption on the Georgia State Pardons and Paroles Board. In the second clip, J. W. Claxton is interviewed about that report.
Clip 1 opens with Bolton speaking about his report. Throughout the clip, he is asked questions by various unidentified off-camera reporters. Bolton's comments and the reporters' questions are transcribed in full below.
Bolton: "From our investigation and review of the activities of this Board including but not limited to an examination of hundreds of files and decisions, it has become obvious to us that the action taken or the decision made cannot be justified upon the basis of the existing record or files."
In the next clip reporters can be heard in the background preparing for Bolton's interview and an unidentified off-screen reporter is heard asking, "Everybody ready?" Then an unidentified off-screen reporter asks, "Mr. Bolton, in this report, what do you mean by cronyism?"
Bolton: "Well the definition of cronyism as I understand it is where a person is placed in a position without regards to his qualifications."
Off-camera reporter: "Who do you have reference to [unintelligible]"
Bolton: "Well I think the report speaks for itself."
Off-camera reporter: "Mr. Bolton, were you able to develop any evidence which would lead you to take some action, legal action against anyone?"
Bolton: "Well, if you'll notice this is an interim report and at this time I don't want to comment on that any other than to say that."
Off-camera reporter: "Are you anticipating continuing the investigation, Mr. Bolton?"
Bolton: "We certainly do."
Off-camera reporter: "Can I get you to read for me the couple of paragraphs beginning on the bottom?"
Bolton: "...state were violated. Further, we uncovered no facts or evidence which would lead us to believe that there was any reasonable possibility of discovering or proving any violation of the laws of this state. Although this particular action by the Pardon and Parole Board was given great publicity in the news media, we could find no evidence that would warrant any further investigation by this department."
Off-camera reporter: "You're talking about the [unintelligible] case there?"
Bolton: "That's correct. That's in that one case, that's right."
Off-camera reporter: "Mr. Bolton, on page 22 starting with the last..."
Bolton: "Ready? The law places upon the members of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles the duty of exercising their judgment and discretion in discharging the function of such a board."
Off-camera reporter: "...is going to cast a big enough cloud on the Pardon and Parole department or Pardon and Parole Board that they'll have to be replaced before there'll be any public confidence in them?"
Bolton: "Well sir, I think that is a question that addresses itself to the future and I just don't care to speculate on it."
Off-camera reporter: "Have you discussed this with the Governor?"
Bolton: "I have submitted a copy of this report to the Governor, but I have not discussed it with him."
Off-camera reporter: "Speaking of the future, on page 25..."
The next clip shows a group of unidentified reporters sitting around a large table with Bolton at the head. Various reporters can be heard talking at once. The next clip shows Bolton reading from his report.
Bolton: "...every recommendation made in this report will be meaningless unless compliance is compelled and unless the Governor and the Senate exercise their duty in a statesmanlike manner and in the true spirit of the high ideals embellished in the constitutional provision creating the board. Want me to go on? It would be with a feeling of relief if we could conclude this report by saying that we have completed our investigation into the affairs of the Pardons and Parole Boards [sic]. However, because of the circumstances of our investigation and because of the fact that we are constantly receiving additional information which might or might not be relevant, we feel compelled to continue our investigation but are submitting this as an interim report. The investigation by this department will therefore be continued, and it is hoped that we may conclude same before the meeting of the General Assembly in 1969."
Off-camera reporter: "You say that drastic illness requires drastic remedy. What do you mean by drastic remedy?"
Bolton: "Well we think we have made some recommendations in here that will appear drastic to some people."
Off-camera reporter: "Mr. Bolton, this investigation has been going on for six months and you have been very close to it. You're a constitutional officer of the state elected by office..."
Bolton: "...have about the situation and if you can infer something from that opinion then you have to do so. I don't care to express any other opinion. I don't think I can sum it up in a capsule form."
Off-camera reporter: "In as short as possible."
Bolton: "Well we found what we believe is overwhelming evidence but not only the two persons named in here. One we use is a lawyer and one was a layman, but other persons as well apparently enjoyed great favoritism in their practice before the Board. We found that the prisoners in the Georgia penal system know this. They believe in it and after this investigation, we believe it too. And the Pardon and Parole Board to my mind is, should be beyond politics. Now I'm in a political office, no doubt about it, I have to run. But a man is appointed for a term or a member is appointed for a term of seven years. We have raised the salary and they now make a salary of twenty-two thousand I believe five hundred dollars a year, and a prisoner of the Georgia penal system is entitled to have his right to parole or remission or commutation considered, in my judgment without having the employ of someone at an exorbitant price if he doesn't want to, and there's nothing wrong with a prisoner obtaining a lawyer. I don't think you can prohibit him from obtaining a lawyer, but the facts as we found them, and the facts as we believe was that it was common practice for a man to realize or they felt that it was and certainly in many instances it appeared to be true that they weren't going to get proper consideration unless they hired some individual."
Off-camera reporter: "Is this still going on now?"
Bolton: "I think you will find the word compel in my report. I don't know what's going on now."
Off-camera reporter: "Let me ask you this: when you say this Big Daddy Summerlin here handling 26 cases, there was a period..."
Bolton: "Well I signed this report as of today."
Off-camera reporter: "Bolton, you mentioned Mrs. Rebecca Garrett and Mr. Claxton in this report."
Bolton: "That is correct."
Off-camera reporter: "If you mentioned them again to the cameras and also tell us what your report..."
Bolton: "Well the two people that we did research on as to who they represented and were able to do research on, let's put it that way. Both of them in my judgment had rather unusual success before the Board in representing their clients. They developed...they were certainly friends. All the letters in the files had all indicated when I say friends, I mean first-name basis, little chit chat in letters that just don't amount to what you're talking about to a prisoner. And it seems that certainly from our report that Mr. Claxton and Mrs. Garrett were the two most active Board members and when Mr. [Forrest C.] Oates and Mr. [W. Newsom] Summerlin appeared before the board."
Off-camera reporter: "Do you think a clerk of the Superior Court has any business representing a prisoner before the Pardon and Parole Board?"
Bolton: "Absolutely not."
Off-camera reporter: "Did you find evidence of any Board member had tried to shut up prisoners?"
Bolton: "Well I cited an instance in the report that raised some questions in our mind. You know, it's not easy to get prisoners to testify or people on parole or some of the former inmates dealing with lot of times the underworld and they're most reluctant to say anything that might get back to someone who might have the right to pass on their freedom in the future. You can't blame 'em."
Off-camera reporter: "Mr. Bolton, is it not somewhat unusual for a state attorney general" [Clip 1 ends here.]
Clip 2 opens with the first few clips showing reporters and Bolton sitting a table with Bolton at the head reading from his report. Different angles of Bolton reading are shown. The next clip has audio and Bolton can be heard reading from his report.
Bolton: "We have unavoidably concluded that the action taken and the decisions which were rendered were subject to influences and considerations outside the scope of what we consider the proper sphere for consideration and amounted in instance after instance to a gross abuse of discretion."
The next clip shows J. W. Claxton being interviewed by reporter Jim Whipkey who is off-screen.
Whipkey: "Has anyone ever peddled any influence with you?"
Claxton: "I deny that any individual, any person or persons, has ever attempted to influence me or to persuade me at any time."
The next clip cuts back to Bolton. "During the course of our investigation we have talked to numerous inmates and former inmates of the Georgia penal system. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt common knowledge believed in almost universally by the inmates of Georgia prisons that it is possible for a person to secure favorable consideration before the Board of Pardons and Paroles by hiring certain persons who are alleged to have influence with the Board. Our investigation into the activities of the board indicate quite positively that this belief among the prison population was not without foundation."
The next clip cuts back to Claxton: "My conscience is clear with the reference to any and all cases that I have passed on during my tenure of this Board, either in granting or denying irrespective of what the feelings of my critics might be. I would like to say this: that it's not the people that I have seen fit to grant that I have been disturbed about, but on many instances it was those that I had denied and possibly they could have been and would have been the best parolee."
Whipkey: "Do you have any intention of resigning?"
Claxton: "I have no intentions of resigning at this time or any time in the future."
The next clip cuts back to Bolton: "The system it is all too obvious is deep-rooted, and correction will be most difficult. The history of the system reeks of cronyism, and the present situation is a product of that system. Drastic illness requires drastic remedy."
Reporter: Whipkey, Jim
Title supplied by cataloger.
Clip 2 for wsbn52572 on reel #1425 is from the same interview as clip wsbn52573 on reel #1425.
Supporting information taken from the following source: "Text of Report." The Atlanta Constitution 14 December 1967. 1. Web. - Local Identifier:
- Clip number: wsbn52572
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/news/id:wsbn52572
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/news/id:wsbn52572
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn52572/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: wsbn52572, Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of Attorney General Arthur K. Bolton explaining his report alleging corruption on the Georgia State Pardons and Paroles Board, and J. W. Claxton being interviewed about that report, Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 December 13, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1425, 25:43/35:23, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia
- Extent:
- 1 clip (about 9 mins., 40 secs.): color, sound ; 16 mm.
1 clip (about 3 mins., 11 secs.): color, sound ; 16 mm. - Original Collection:
- Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
- Holding Institution:
- Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection
- Rights:
-
