Judge refuses to shorten Raquan Dixon’s 12‑month sentence after defense asks for probation or earlier release

State Court of Clayton County Judge Tammy Long Hayward on July 22 declined a defense request to shorten the 12‑month jail sentence of 26‑year‑old Raquan Lamar Monte Dixon, rejecting an effort to probate the remaining time or set an earlier release date. Judge Tammy Long Hayward said she had imposed the 12‑month sentence intentionally and that she was not persuaded the time should be shortened now. "You had from the time you were 18 to 26 to get a GED or to go back to school or to find some way to better yourself, and you didn't," she told Dixon during the hearing. "So now I'm supposed to believe that if I let you out for the remainder of these few months that you have left, all of a sudden, you're gonna be a superhero and go get your GED?" Defense attorney Owen Lynch told the court he was asking the judge to modify Dixon's sentence under "17‑10‑1" and said Dixon had been continuously incarcerated since about November 2024 and would benefit from probation with conditions such as completion of a family violence intervention program and enrollment in a GED program. Lynch also proposed an alternate plan that would allow Dixon to serve the remainder of his county sentence on weekends to permit employment and financial support for his three young sons. Assistant solicitor (prosecutor) Mr. Tipton told the court the state would defer to the court on the motion. The judge noted she was concerned about repeated offenses involving the same alleged victim and said she wanted to hear from the victim, identified in the record as Miss Jones, before changing the sentence. "Miss Jones would have to be part of this decision, and I'm not just gonna decide for her," the judge said. The judge also discussed a superior‑court plea referenced during the hearing and the uncertainty about how that plea would affect Dixon's custody, but ultimately said she remained satisfied with her original sentence and denied the motion. The court returned Dixon to sheriff custody following the denial. The hearing record shows Lynch sought credit for time served and requested that the court either probate the remainder of Dixon's county sentence with conditions or grant a release date to facilitate employment and GED enrollment; the court denied those requests without further action. The court indicated it would revisit the issue only if the victim expressed a willingness to have Dixon released earlier.