Rather than attend a Superior Court hearing in which the suing party would seek more than $18,000 in compensated legal fees, officials representing the City of Statesboro decided to pay an out-of-court settlement for less than half the amount, according to City Manager Frank Parker. In lieu of a court date, City officials agreed to provide $8,500 to a private citizen-group — Earl Dabbs, Charles Oliff, Raybon Anderson, Jody Stubbs, Ray Hendley and Ellis Wood — as compensation for legal costs associated with an unsuccessful appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court earlier this year. Prior to the Oct. 19 settlement, the plaintiffs were requesting approximately $18,600 for fees incurred through the appeal process, Parker said.