Clayton County judge accepts multiple pleas, imposes jail terms and MARTA ban in April 1 jail calendar

Judge Tammy Long Hayward presided over a virtual jail calendar at Clayton County State Court on April 1, 2025, accepting negotiated pleas, imposing jail terms and ordering conditions in multiple misdemeanor and domestic-violence matters.

The calendar produced several resolved cases: Nikia Q. Clifton entered a first-offender plea and received probation and fines; Lee Leon Good Jr. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 days in custody with a 12-month ban from MARTA; Maurice Lamont Bender received 45 days and $300 restitution; Yesenia Isabel Ramos had 30 days revoked from probation but received credit for time served and her case was closed; Marquez Antoine Mitchell pleaded guilty to a family-violence battery and received a jail term concurrent with an existing felony sentence; Judy Lynn Crockwell Lewis drew 30 days credit and was released; and the court set a bond hearing for Anthony Jerome Bowie on April 15 after defense asked the court to reconsider bond.

Why it matters: the outcomes affect short-term jail population, probation enforcement and public-safety conditions such as a public-transportation ban. Judge Hayward explicitly balanced individual sentences against local jail capacity and public-safety considerations while explaining conditions such as no-contact orders and transportation bans.

Clifton: first-offender plea and probation Judge Hayward accepted a negotiated first-offender plea for Nikia Q. Clifton after defense counsel Owen Lynch said the plea had been resolved. Clifton pleaded under first-offender treatment to three counts (counts 2–4); count 1 was nol prossed. The court ordered: 12 months probation on count 2, 40 hours of community service, random drug and alcohol testing and no drugs or alcohol; count 3 to run concurrent with count 2 and carry a $200 fine; count 4 to run concurrent with a $100 fine. Probation may terminate upon completion, and Clifton was ordered to have no contact with the victim, identified in court as Adrianna McClinton. Judge Hayward told Clifton, “I’m going to accept your plea under first offender,” and instructed her to meet with probation staff to enroll and ask questions about conditions.

Good: guilty pleas, 90 days and MARTA ban Lee Leon Good Jr. pleaded guilty to counts 1 and 2 in a case involving conduct on a MARTA bus. The state had recommended a 180-day jail term; after discussion the judge reduced the custodial portion to 90 days with the balance of a 12-month sentence suspended, to run concurrent on both counts. The court also ordered that Good have no contact with the bus driver, identified as Precious White, and banned him from riding MARTA vehicles, trains or facilities for 12 months. During Colloquy the judge admonished the defendant and observed, “I put my money on the MARTA bus driver versus anybody pretty much,” noting safety concerns for transit operators.

Bender: no contest plea, 45 days and restitution Maurice Lamont Bender entered a no-contest plea to criminal trespass. The court imposed a 12-month sentence with 45 days to serve and the balance suspended contingent on payment of $300 restitution to the victim, Ernetta Kendrick; the order included no contact with Kendrick. The judge recorded that the $300 restitution reflected the cost to replace vehicle keys, per the police report and victim statement.

Ramos: probation revoked, 30 days credited and case closed Yesenia Isabel Ramos appeared on a petition to revoke probation. The court found multiple failures to report and to enroll in a required family-violence intervention program, and probation recommended revocation of 30 days. Judge Hayward revoked 30 days, credited Ramos for 11 days served in custody, and closed the case. In a lengthy admonition the judge addressed Ramos’s history of domestic-control concerns and urged safety steps, saying, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Mitchell: family-violence battery plea, 180 days concurrent Marquez Antoine Mitchell pleaded guilty to a family-violence battery count (count 1); other counts were merged or nol prossed under the negotiated plea. The state recommended 180 days to serve; the court accepted the plea and imposed a 12-month sentence with 180 days to serve, balance suspended, to run concurrent with an existing felony sentence. The court ordered no violent or harassing contact with the victim(s) identified in court as LaMesha Mitchell and LaVette Marcus, and the record reflects credit for time in custody applied to the sentence.

Crockwell Lewis: airport trespass and disorderly conduct, release with credit Judy Lynn Crockwell Lewis entered a no-contest plea to criminal trespass and disorderly conduct at the airport. The judge imposed a custodial sentence but ordered credit for time served and released her that day; the court suspended the balance provided she does not return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport without documented travel or official business.

Bowie: bond hearing set after defense request, state objects to short notice Defense counsel asked the court to set bond for Anthony Jerome Bowie; the state objected that defense had not filed a motion and asked for time to prepare. Judge Hayward declined to hold an immediate bond hearing, citing the state’s right to notice and preparation, and set the bond hearing for the next available jail calendar on April 15, 2025. The judge accepted a not-guilty plea and instructed counsel that a written motion to set bond should be filed; she said a consent bond could be entered sooner if both sides agree and provide the court with documentation.

Other calendar notes Several other matters were continued, held for evaluation or left for further conversations between counsel and clients. The judge repeatedly urged defendants to comply with probation reporting and with the special conditions imposed by the court and probation officers.

Next steps Most sentences ordered at the April 1 jail calendar take immediate effect; some fines and restitution are payable to the solicitor-general’s office as directed by the court. The court scheduled a bond hearing for Anthony Bowie on April 15, 2025. Outstanding matters that were continued will return on a subsequent jail calendar.