Charles Postell, investigative journalist and state editor for The Albany Herald, faced charges of aiding and abetting a death row escape from Georgia State Prison after the state police agency illegally searched his home office under the guise of being present to protect Postell and his family from escapees.
Investigative Journalist Charles Postell had an ongoing war with the GBI, which culminated with the state law agency framing him and wife Judi for aiding and abetting a death row escape.
Postell’s career as an investigative journalist included many exposes on law officials, and agents of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). After 4 inmates escaped from Georgia State Prison’s Death Row, they claimed to be protecting Postell and his family, arriving at the Postell home with guns and staying overnight.
Postell caught one of the agents rifling through his office files in the middle of the night. The next day the agents returned with a search warrant and went directly to the files which had been pilfered.
Charges were brought against Postell and wife Judi, but later dismissed following an FBI sting which foiled an extortion attempt.
This led to a $5.5 million lawsuit against the GBI for illegal search and seizure, opening up open discourse about 4th amendment rights violations
After a feigned attempt to protect Postell and his family from 4 death row escaped inmates, the GBI returned with a search warrant to take letters which they had pilfered while there under the guise of protection.
They left the next morning when Postell set off for his Albany Herald office, leaving Postell’s wife and children alone in the house they had professed was in danger of escaped convicts retribution after Postell refused to help them.
