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Judge sets conditional bond for ex-Hall deputy
Sugarman may be released Monday; earlier hearing led to judge's resignation
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A former Hall County Sheriff's deputy arrested in Lumpkin County on multiple charges, including rape and child cruelty, likely will be released from jail on bond Monday, his lawyer said.

Senior Judge Hugh Stone set a conditional bond Friday for Scott Sugarman, requiring the former Hall officer to undergo psychological evaluations and post a $50,000 bond before being released from jail.

Upon release, Sugarman will be prohibited from entering Lumpkin County, where he is charged with rape, criminal attempt to commit rape, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and two counts of third degree cruelty to a child. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Other conditions of Sugarman's bond include wearing an ankle monitor, submitting to a curfew and visiting his children only under supervision.

He will also be required to get a job, said attorney Dan Summer, who represents Sugarman.

"That's going to be hard," Summer said.

Until Lumpkin authorities began investigating allegations stemming from a Feb. 6 incident of family violence, Sugarman had served in the patrol division of the Hall Sheriff's Office for four years.

He has since resigned.

The judge presiding over Friday's bond hearing was appointed after a previous judge in the case resigned Wednesday.

In a previous bond hearing for Sugarman, Judge David Barrett pulled out a gun and pretended to hand it to an uncooperative witness.

The witness was testifying that the deputy had abused her and one time had placed a gun to her head, Langley said, but she later became uncooperative.

Barrett pretended to offer the pistol to the witness, telling the woman she was killing her case.

Reports of Barrett's actions were delivered to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, and Barrett resigned amid the investigation.

Barrett was the chief judge of the Enotah Judicial Circuit that includes Lumpkin, Towns, Union and White counties in Northeast Georgia.

District Attorney Jeff Langley, the lead prosecutor in the case, said he's unsure if Barrett's current replacement, Stone, will continue to preside over the case. Nor did he know how long it will be before Sugarman's case will be presented to a Grand Jury.