Sheriff's Widow To Continue His Fight
As prosecutors plan to request a special grand jury to investigate the shooting death of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, his widow has vowed to uphold his vision of reform in Decatur, Georgia.
DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan has asked that a panel of judges form the special grand jury to investigate Brown's death last month as well as allegations against the sheriff's department, Sheriff Sidney Dorsey and his wife, Atlanta City Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey.
Brown was shot to death in his driveway December 15th in what authorities are calling an "assassination." Brown had promised to reform the sheriff's department and look into allegations of corruption.
The judges must approve the special panel. They are scheduled to meet at noon. Court officials say organizing the grand jury will take several weeks if judges approve the request that Morgan filed last week.
Lawyers hired by Sidney Dorsey attacked the investigation yesterday as "political" and said their client should be allowed to attend the grand jury sessions.
Morgan says he would fight to keep Dorsey out of the closed sessions.
Meanwhile, Phyllis Brown, the widow of the slain sheriff-elect, says she is considering running for the job of sheriff herself.
Brown says some members of your family don't want her to run, saying they fear for her life.
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| Phyllis Brown. |
"The first thing they said was they were not willing to lose two parents," Brown told CBS News Early Show Anchor Bryant Gumbel. "That's always in the back of your mind after something line this happens. But I understand also the vision that my husband had, and one way or another I'm going to make sure that is carried out."
Brown has said there are only two people who can fulfill her husband's legacy –- Brown herself and his former aide, Robert Crowder. However, Crowder says he doesn't want to run.
Brown said she has not made up her mind yet whether to take up the campaign.
"But even if I don't run for sheriff itself, I will be an integral part in the sheriff's department," she said. "I'm not willing to let his legacy die simply because he died."
Brown and her family remain under police protection. She said she will be following the developments in the grand jury investigation, but isn't hopeful much will come of it.
Does she think authorities will ever find out who killed her husband?
"Honestly, no," she said.
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