Clayton County traffic bench calendar yields mixed outcomes in improper-passing and lane-change cases

Judge Tammy Long Hayward convened the Clayton County State Court traffic bench calendar on Aug. 27, 2025, and the court addressed dozens of traffic matters including improper-passing and lane-change charges, several no-pros due to absent officers, and plea offers that led to suspended fines. The most immediate case called was Carlos Ricardo Bass, charged with improper passing. After a bench trial in which Officer Ella Kirillova testified the driver crossed a double yellow line to pass a stopped MARTA bus, Judge Hayward found Bass guilty of an improper lane change and imposed a $100 fine plus surcharges totaling $151.50. Bass was ordered to pay at the courthouse traffic window. The calendar produced several different outcomes on similar facts. Kiana Shontavious Gordon, facing an improper-passing charge that had followed an accident, was found not guilty after the judge said the available evidence did not establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In Gordon’s case the state introduced body-worn camera footage and testimony from Detective McKay Pearson, and the judge explained she was not convinced the driver intended or committed an unsafe passing maneuver. Latonya Denise Brown accepted a plea offer on a headlight/dimming charge. The court dismissed a separate display-of-license-plate count and accepted Brown’s plea to failure to dim headlights as a nolo contendere (no contest) with a $100 fine suspended, meaning she was not required to pay so long as no other disqualifying event occurs. Prosecutors told the court they were prepared to offer suspended fines in multiple cases, and the calendar included several nolle prosequi (dismissals) when the state’s officers were not present. Multiple defense attorneys and defendants raised missed witness or officer availability as a reason some matters were continued or dismissed; the prosecutor notified the court in several instances that the state was moving to nolle pros on cases where officers had not appeared. Why it matters: The calendar shows how routine traffic enforcement can produce widely different results depending on the available evidence, witness memory and on-scene documentation (body-worn video, citation review). The court also repeatedly reminded defendants that accepting a nolo plea or suspended fine can affect future eligibility for plea benefits and, for non-citizens, possible immigration consequences. Courtroom details and next steps: Several defendants were given instructions to pay fines or provide contact information to the clerk, and one defendant (whose primary language is Amharic) was continued to the next available calendar so the court could provide an interpreter. Judge Hayward closed the session after recapping the outcomes and asking participants to return for the next calendar.