Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Fountain Calvin Cone, Jr. has resigned as the Misdemeanor Probation Officer for Madison County after being arrested on charges of official misconduct and grand theft.
During a special meeting of the Madison County Board of County Commissioners on Friday, June 1, the Commissioners voted to enter into a contract with East Coast Court Services, LLC (ECCS). This decision comes on the heels of the resignation of Fountain Calvin Cone, Jr., who had previously provided misdemeanor probation services for Madison County. Cone resigned for his position as Misdemeanor Probation Officer for Madison County earlier in the day on Friday, June 1.
According to multiple news reports, on Friday, May 25, Cone turned himself in at the Hamilton County Jail and was arrested on charges of official misconduct and grand theft. An on-going investigation being undertaken by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) centers around alleged discrepancies in Taylor County, where Cone served as the misdemeanor probation officer, and funds not being properly turned over to the Clerk of Court. The FDLE is the investigating agency whenever misconduct is alleged to have been committed by public officials.
According to Madison County Clerk of Court Billy Washington, it does not appear the issues present in Taylor County have spilled over into Madison County. "I have not been contacted by the FDLE," said Washington. "I have not seen his [Cone's] records, they have been turned over to [Madison County] Judge Browning."
ECCS immediately began providing misdemeanor probation services for Madison, after the signing of the contract and the approval of Madison County Judge E. Bailey Browning, III. According to the contract between ECCS and the County Commissioners, ECCS will receive $40 per month from each probationer, as ordered by the court. Other court mandated fees, fines, restitution, etc. will be collected by ECCS, but will be passed along to the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Madison County. At no time will the funds paid to ECCS and the funds paid to the court be commingled and will be kept separate. ECCS has also entered into an agreement with Taylor County to provide misdemeanor probation services for Taylor County.
A representative from ECCS, Ernie Page, spoke to the Commissioners. Page reiterated the fact that ECCS makes their money from the $40 fee paid to ECCS by the probationers. Any court costs, fines, etc. collected by ECCS on behalf of the county will be turned over to the Clerk of Court's Office. "[Our] goal is to work with [probationers] to have them [achieve] compliance with probation. If not, the County's not getting paid," said Page. "Sometime's life is life and people have medical bills, etc. If people can't pay this month, we will work with them. Ultimately, we want everyone to be successful on probation and not violate any new laws and pay everything and we never see them in criminal court again. [They can] use [probation] as a learning lesson. Unfortunately, it doesn't work with everybody, but that's the goal."