Clayton County State Court accepts multiple pleas, imposes short jail terms and suspended sentences on arraignment calendar

Judge Tammy Long Hayward's May 13, 2025, arraignment calendar included a string of pleas and sentencing orders across multiple cases, with the court accepting negotiated and non-negotiated pleas and imposing short active terms, suspended balances, fines and conditions.

Notable pleas and dispositions entered during the calendar included:

- Christopher Chad Smith (2025CR04619): Represented by Lister Holt and Dennis, Smith entered a no-contest plea to a drug-paraphernalia charge. The court accepted a negotiated recommendation of "12 months; serve 20 days, credit for time served; balance suspended." Judge Hayward cautioned Smith to avoid returning to the location involved, telling him, "Don't go back to that Chevron." (Prosecutor's factual basis; defense assent recorded.)

- Dylan Anthony Smith (2025CR04669): Smith entered a Nolo plea on an obstruction charge. The state recommended, and the court accepted, a $300 fine suspended. The court admonished the defendant to resolve outstanding matters to avoid further arrests.

- Raymond Dequan Gamillion (2025CR04435): Gamillion pleaded no-contest to criminal trespass. The state recommended 12 months with 14 days to serve, balance probated, and a restitution hearing to determine the amount; the court accepted the plea and ordered restitution to be set at a later hearing.

- Sierra Jamia Mack (2024CR06947 / 2025CR04729): Mack entered a guilty plea to obstruction (accepted) and a Nolo plea on a theft-by-shoplifting charge. The court accepted the plea to obstruction with the state's recommendation of 12 months, serve 2 days, balance suspended, and $300 fine suspended. On the shoplifting case the court accepted a 12-month term with 60 days to serve (credit for time served applied as appropriate) and a condition not to return to any Walmart in Clayton County.

- Larissa Latrice Shepherd (2025CR04731): Shepherd pleaded Nolo to abandonment of a child. The court accepted the plea and imposed 12 months with 30 days to serve and the balance suspended, with credit for time already served.

- Christma Lisa Roberts (2025CR04113): Roberts pleaded guilty to battery (count 1); count 2 merged. The state documented a history of prior violent offenses and probation failures and recommended a more substantial active term. The court accepted the plea and sentenced Roberts to 12 months with 180 days to serve; the balance suspended as long as no new violations occur.

- Renée Lynette Williams (02/1927 et al.): Williams entered guilty pleas to battery and theft-by-shoplifting charges, with concurrent sentences totaling 12 months and 60 days to serve; balance suspended, with no-contact conditions and a prohibition from returning to the incident business.

- Kelvin Jermaine Scott: Scott pleaded Nolo to possession of a drug-related object; the court accepted a suspended $200 fine.

Across these entries the court frequently followed the state’s factual bases and recommended dispositions for negotiated pleas, used credit-for-time-served where applicable, and imposed behavior conditions such as no-contact or exclusion from specific businesses. For offenses involving restitution or damage, judges scheduled or directed restitution hearings to determine amounts and timelines for payment and ordered defendants to register with probation where appropriate.

The calendar also included administrative actions: several cases were continued, some moved to no process or dismissal by the state, and the court handled requests for conferences, appointments of counsel (Lister Holt and Dennis was appointed in at least one case), and a bench-warrant set-aside process for at least one defendant (Renardo Gilmore).