Bartee Trial: Blackwell gives four hour testimony

The trial of former Secret Service agent James Bartee continued this afternoon at the Oconee Courthouse. In a four-hour testimony, Nick Blackwell stated that Bartee, while a candidate for Oconee County Sheriff in 2012, approached him at the annual Seneca Fest celebration about kidnapping a judge. Blackwell testified it wasn’t until a little later that he learned the judge Bartee had in mind was Jimmy Williams, a retired jurist who had raised questions about Bartee’s eligibility to run for the office of Oconee’s top law officer. A couple days later, according to his testimony, Blackwell wore a wire to a meeting with the defendant at the Bartee home. More on Blackwell’s testimony during Thursday’s local news beginning at 6:30 AM. The trial resumes at 9:00 AM Thursday.