It was a minor incident that could and should have been resolved in a matter of minutes.

Instead, it turned out to be a 3 ½-year exercise in absurdity.

Tuesday morning, appointed prosecutor William Starks asked Lowndes County Court Judge Allison Kizer to drop two misdemeanor charges against Dispatch Managing Editor Zack Plair for lack of evidence.

The charges came after Plair defended his rights under the state’s public record laws to photograph records during an April 9, 2019 appointment with city properties manager Rogena Bonner. Those records showed that the city had provided cut-rate rentals of the Trotter Center to a then-city council member against city policy. Bonner incorrectly told Plair he could not photograph the records. When Plair objected, Bonner called security and the police and asked him to leave. Plair left Bonner’s office, but remained on the premises until police arrived.

Along with the police officers came then-mayor Robert Smith, city attorney Jeff Turnage, among other city officials. Plair called Dispatch publisher Peter Imes, who also went to the Trotter.

The incident should have been resolved there.

Instead, 10 days later, in an obvious attempt to embarrass and humiliate Plair, police arrived at The Dispatch, placed Plair under arrest and transported him in handcuffs through the building and to jail for booking. The charges were based on a personal affidavit from Bonner. Plair was charged with simple assault by threat and disturbance of a business, both misdemeanors.

Tuesday court proceedings only confirmed what should have been obvious from the start: The charges were not based on evidence, but on the desire to embarrass Plair and create a chilling effect on The Dispatch’s efforts to hold public officials accountable.

If there is any embarrassment to be felt now, it falls not on Plair but on city officials who for the past 3 ½ years could have pushed to drop those frivolous charges at any time but simply did not.

If this fiasco has produced any tangible positive effect, it is that it has only strengthened The Dispatch’s resolve to hold public officials accountable, not out of the kind of petty spite that  birthed the charges against Plair, but out of a sincere commitment to serve the public interest.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.