Arrest That Promoter!

A magistrate judge recently refused a request by the mayor of Lithonia, Ga., to have a local concert promoter arrested following weeks of infighting between city officials.

Mayor Joyce McKibben alleged that promoter Jason Lary, who once attempted to buy the town for $1 million, threatened to kill her over a contract dispute regarding the city’s summer concert series, according to court documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

McKibben testified in court that an associate, state Sen. Ronald Ramsey, warned her that Lary "said he was going to kill me," the paper reported. However, Ramsey’s later testimony concluded Lary had made no such threat.

In his decision, Magistrate Court Judge Glen Galbough ruled that McKibben failed to provide proof that Lary had intended to communicate a threat to her, and failed to support her allegations.

This isn’t the first time McKibben has attempted to take Lary to court. The mayor sought a protective order against the promoter from a judge earlier this year, which was also denied, according to court records.

McKibben, who’s criticized Lary’s contracts with the city in the past, has been locked in a power struggle with the city council over the city charter in recent weeks, the AJC said.