Family of 83-year-old woman says she was wrongfully arrested in Bartow Co.

An 83-year-old woman was arrested for a crime her family said she didn’t commit.

Alice Cordell’s family told Channel 2’s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell that the 83-year-old spent six hours in a holding cell while the family worked on clearing her name.

“She was just going to the store, and I guess the police officer in Bartow decided he was going to run her plate, and when he did, he found that there was a warrant for her arrest for trafficking methamphetamine,” Jacob Cordell said.

Cordell’s grandson said his grandmother was terrified and didn’t know what was going on.

“I know she was terrified. She was cold. Luckily, some inmates gave her some socks in there to help her stay warm,” Cordell said.

Alice Cordell’s name is listed with several other defendants in an indictment from 2024 that centers around to a drug trafficking case.

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“I spoke with someone from the DA’s office, and they said unless you have a lawyer, there is no way we can talk to you about this,” Cordell said.

Cordell’s family said they were only able to get answers from the defense attorney who is listed in the drug trafficking case. They said they discovered the actual suspect in the case was arrested in 2024 and has attended court hearings.

“The difference between my grandmother and the actual defendant in this case is just one letter. Alice is my grandmother, and this lady’s name was Alica, so just one letter,” Cordell said.

Documents tied to the case are under Alice Cordell’s name, her birthdate, and an old address, according to the family.

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Cordell’s family told Newell that the defense attorney in the case spoke directly to the judge about the error, which led to Cordell’s release from jail.

Court documents show Cordell’s name has been dismissed from the case due to insufficient evidence.

“We’d like to know why her name’s involved and also how we can go about getting her name completely removed,” Cordell said.

Statement from District Attorney Sonya F. Allen:

The recent arrest of an Ms. Alice Cordell was the direct result of a critical error made during the prior administration. Unfortunately, this mistake was never identified or corrected before our team took office. While the mistake was not intentional, we take full responsibility for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of all matters handled by this office.

As soon as the issue came to light, our leadership team acted immediately to investigate, correct the error, and ensure Ms. Cordell was released without delay.

This incident underscores why we are committed to restoring the integrity, accountability, and transparency of this office. We remain focused on delivering justice responsibly and treating every member of our community with the dignity they deserve. Our office sincerely regrets the distress this caused and remains committed to justice and service to our community.

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