[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6063039,"mediaKeyId","3274231-3c16831ca6795f05025b7bdf08f1c512","parentId",3274231,"title","Clayton County arraignment calendar: guilty pleas, probation conditions and multiple dismissals and bench warrants","audioSeconds",851,"startMs",11481425,"endMs",12333240,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274231-3c16831ca6795f05025b7bdf08f1c512&start=11481&end=12333","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274231-3c16831ca6795f05025b7bdf08f1c512/thumbnail_11481425.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063039/Texas/Clayton-County-arraignment-calendar-guilty-pleas-probation-conditions-and-multiple-dismissals-and-bench-warrants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063039-3029304d650182fb27b14c323c1cdb93/orig.mp4?Expires=1770922033&Signature=RQG6QbZVYazexldIJxTxcy3L9rFq8XI1YEBD~~JBMosR71Nm39S-c0cwKUjzHKMEGXVwTQG1zRUPPrliGuPYw6TdXszJZQiyhldSpsgB2kmbrcaUxBF3TGMZKHT0OBn6KGfou9dx~zcWtz6eKZyXgDjnRzURfQaeyociLNQtHUD8hgoyvzqWnmtGjxBrFJvDqdm3WOU~974ztlnpUswRs8UGWWpFDHGMVvfZCV~GzKvmvhnPDFzUfDPs9XoVuHFcAOf3I-R9xRpqeHXalndB7Wmoyzy49yL90ZOeRm9RxrWzGpmOkgRp7jDcYyXBCkjm6VJMJOQ9-Lw1IqlLS8DN-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-12T14:22:20Z","article","Clayton County State Court handled a full arraignment calendar on May 12, 2025, disposing of multiple matters through pleas, dismissals and bench‑warrant orders. Judge Tammy Long Hayward accepted plea agreements in several cases and directed defendants to probation reporting and specialized classes where required.

Key case outcomes

- Kiara Patrice Smith (2022CR01725): The court accepted a plea of guilty to count 1 (battery family violence). Counts 2–4 were merged with count 1. The court sentenced Smith to 12 months probation, a $300 fine suspended, 40 hours of community service and enrollment in a family violence intervention program; the sentence included a special condition of no violent or harassing contact with the identified victim, Marquavius Meadows. The judge also placed Smith in a breakout room with probation staff to explain reporting requirements.

- Demetrius Allen Roey (2022CR01721): Roey pleaded guilty to a family‑violence battery count; counts 2–4 merged. The court sentenced him to 12 months probation, a $300 fine, 40 hours community service and required completion of a family violence intervention program; the state recommended no contact with the victim, and the victim addressed the court asking that contact restrictions be lifted because she said she “does not fear for [her] safety.”

- Rafael Wallace (2022CR01825): The court accepted a no‑contest plea to a stop or yield sign violation (count 4). Counts 1–3 were nol prossed. The court imposed a $100 fine, which was suspended.

- Joshua Gary Christian (2022CR01866): Christian entered a nolo plea to wrong‑side‑of‑the‑road (count 2). Counts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were nol prossed. The court set a $300 fine (reflected on the record as $444 with surcharges) with up to 60 days to pay.

- Emmanuel Williams (2021CR08371 / referenced as 202108371): Williams entered no‑contest pleas to counts 1 and 2 (no license and improper U‑turn). The court imposed 12 months probation, 50 hours of community service in lieu of a $500 fine (suspended) and a separate $100 fine suspended on count 2; probation reporting instructions were given and the defendant was placed in a breakout room with probation staff.

Dismissals and bench warrants

- The state moved to dismiss (nolle prosequi) several cases after reviewing licensing or other records; the court granted dismissals for individuals including Herschel Harris, Fodaro Joseph McCarter, Luis Alberto Escamilla Perez (who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge), and Tracy Jones Wilson (the state confirmed she had already entered a plea on a duplicate case in another courtroom, and moved to dismiss the duplicate). Several absent defendants prompted bench‑warrant bond forfeitures; the court granted bond forfeiture orders for multiple no‑shows (bench warrants were granted on last calls for many names listed on the calendar).

Court directions and follow‑up

The judge repeatedly told defendants to check bond conditions at the state court clerk's office on the First Floor, to update addresses with the clerk so notices reach them, and to consult counsel before entering pleas that could affect employment or driving privileges. The court used breakout rooms to complete probation intake and to allow counsel to confer privately with clients.

What the court required for supervision and contact

In family‑violence pleas the court routinely ordered the family violence intervention program; the court warned that failing to report to probation is the quickest way to get rearrested and that defendants must notify probation of difficulties complying with special conditions. Where victims were present and requested contact changes, the state deferred to the court to set contact restrictions.

Ending note

After disposing of the 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. calendars, Judge Hayward scheduled several continued matters for June 12 and instructed defendants appearing by video to use the same Zoom link and ID for return appearances.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Clayton State 304's Personal Meeting Room","oneSentenceSummary","On May 12 in Clayton County State Court (Courtroom 304), the court accepted guilty and nolo pleas in several cases, assigned probationary conditions in family‑violence matters, dismissed multiple cases after state review, and granted several bench warrants or bond forfeitures for absentees.","taxTitle","Clayton County State Court 304, Texas Courts, Judicial, Texas","taxId",66308,"location","Texas","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6063044,"Judge Hayward details rights, plea options and Zoom procedures during Clayton County arraignments",3128,28350,3157180,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274231-3c16831ca6795f05025b7bdf08f1c512&start=28&end=3157","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274231-3c16831ca6795f05025b7bdf08f1c512/thumbnail_28350.jpg","/articles/6063044/Texas/Judge-Hayward-details-rights-plea-options-and-Zoom-procedures-during-Clayton-County-arraignments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063044-234a24ac9b5238d154bfc790aa51fc28/orig.mp4?Expires=1770922033&Signature=Rhz7v7kyZEX6E-l86APJ3GQJdUqA36sgvAmaUisi8rMVw6UVDUYntA3Bl~PKmzwX1yddXvGbywvnyhEze3wGCWs1HSjti9iNURmtKo5wCQ6BZag9uYvXXTLEvYQQiV1i-mMsY4Hqcr3gGS3h1DOaYhighLxg8EbknAFwAGzVlZRoqq7VheolAh6EpQrhB7hLZlF0hOXg4cpO8GD47R8aH-lsf56Mo3d9OQwE9Bn-OwVaQeJFtsuQMgutN3W9CzSEd7VqhxylrSGAi8mepEBL1axUT~Qm-S3M3XC4SqP8LE2SefckosgubJd4ZNvAPYRgYgyJoH9UKGZqooYRBhWe3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Judge Tammy Long Hayward opened the Clayton County State Court arraignment calendar for May 12, 2025, and told defendants what to expect when their cases are called: plea options, remote‑hearing procedures and limits on self‑representation.

The judge advised video participants to put their full first and last names on the Zoom roster so staff can identify them and credited them as present. “So if you don't know how to change it, click on the box that [your] name appears on,” Hayward told the remote audience, then walked through the blue‑dots › Rename › enter full name sequence.

The explanation mattered because the arraignment calendar is the first appearance in trial court for many cases and determines whether a defendant pleads guilty, not guilty or “nolo contendere” (no contest). “I expect to hear one of three things, a plea of not guilty, guilty, or no low,” Hayward said. She described what each plea means, the protections the defendant gives up by pleading guilty or nolo, and the state's burden at trial.

Why it matters: the judge's instructions framed both legal rights (including the Fifth Amendment protection against self‑incrimination) and practical consequences — for example, how certain pleas can affect driving records and future appeals.

Most important procedural points

- Counsel and confer: Everyone is “entitled to have an attorney represent you,” the judge said. If a defendant cannot afford counsel or needs appointment, they should tell the court when their name is called.

- Remote identification: Hayward repeatedly instructed remote participants to use the Zoom rename function and to keep devices muted during conferences. Court staff used chat messages and breakout rooms to collect phone numbers and to confer privately with counsel.

- Plea implications and appeals: Hayward advised that a not‑guilty plea preserves the right to trial and that a conviction at trial can be appealed within 30 days of the verdict. She described the maximum penalties for trial convictions frequently used by the court: up to 12 months in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both per offense, as she explained on the record.

- Nolo (no contest) eligibility: The judge said a nolo plea may help in traffic cases to avoid points or license suspension, but only if the defendant is “Nolo eligible,” meaning the plea has not been used in the past five years for the same or similar offense.

- Commercial driver's licenses: Hayward warned defendants holding commercial driver’s licenses that the court cannot predict how a plea or conviction will affect federal or state commercial‑license rules and encouraged defendants to investigate those consequences before pleading.

Accommodations and accessibility

The court used interpreters and other accommodations where needed. In one case the judge and counsel arranged for the defendant to view a pinned video and to have the court speak louder for a person who said she was hearing impaired; the judge also put defendants into breakout rooms so probation staff could explain reporting requirements and special conditions.

Probation and reporting

Hayward emphasized that probation reporting is mandatory and that “the quickest way to get rearrested or to fail in probation is to not go to your probation reports.” The court assigned probation officers to explain conditions in breakout rooms after plea proceedings.

What the court instructed defendants to do next

Defendants were repeatedly told to: (1) check their bond conditions with the state court clerk's office on the First Floor, (2) update their address and contact information so mailed notices reach them, (3) consult counsel before entering pleas that might affect employment (especially commercial drivers), and (4) report promptly to probation if placed on supervision.

Ending note

Hayward closed the arraignment instructions by reminding participants that trials are in‑person events and that proceeding without counsel is uphill work. The court then called calendars and used breakout rooms, chats and directed conferences to resolve or schedule cases.

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Clayton County arraignment calendar: guilty pleas, probation conditions and multiple dismissals and bench warrants

Judge Hayward details rights, plea options and Zoom procedures during Clayton County arraignments