WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ga. — A lawsuit filed this week in the District Court for the Middle District of Georgia is taking aim at a pre-trial diversion program in Washington County .

The suit targets former Solicitor General Michael Howard, Sheriff Joel Cochran, attorney Johnny Vines, and others. The lawsuit claims a man's 2024 assault reveals the three men benefitted personally for putting people through the DUI program.

Attorney Ben Sessions is representing the man who was allegedly assaulted.

He says in May 2024, his client was assaulted by an individual who had a previous DUI charge, which was dropped. The suit claims the charge was dropped after the person retained Johnny Vines as his attorney, following an alleged referral from Sheriff Cochran.

Sessions says his client would not hav

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