Clayton County judge delays cases after concerns about defendantsmental health, orders evaluations and family outreach

State Court Judge Tammy Long Hayward on July 15 delayed or reset multiple matters after defense attorneys and family members told the court two defendants were not ready for plea or sentencing because of mental-health or placement issues.

Why it matters: Court appearances for people in custody who are not competent or who need clinical evaluation require different procedures and timelines. Delays affect jail population, scheduling and whether defendants can resolve cases by plea or on a time-served basis.

The court heard extended discussion about Jamal Brown, who was in custody and represented by counsel. Brown's mother, Dietra Walker, who lives in Chicago, told the judge she had given attorneys medication names and said the jail had not always provided consistent confirmation that her son was receiving those prescriptions. Walker said her son is diagnosed with mental illness and that family members want to be included in communications about his care. "I did speak with the attorney, and I did give him the name of the medication," Walker said. Judge Hayward urged defense counsel and jail staff to make family contact part of coordination and suggested referral to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for family resources.

Defense attorney Owen Lynch told the court that Brown had been offered credit for time served but was not competent to enter a plea that day. Hayward said she could not accept a plea from someone who could not understand the implications. The court reset Brown's matter 30 days out to allow the jail and DBHDD evaluators time to complete assessments and to give counsel a chance to confer with family and medical providers. Hayward instructed Lynch to share contact information in the Zoom chat so counsel could stay in touch with the family.

Thomas Lewis's matter prompted a similar exchange about placement and short-term memory following traumatic brain injury. Lewis' brother, Kevin Lewis, said his brother had been moved to a new group home and was back on medication. Judge Hayward noted the court sometimes relies on existing evaluations rather than reopening a full DBHDD referral because that process can take substantial time. The court set an October 21, 2025, hearing at 10 a.m. to allow time for a mental-health evaluation (the defense asked for up to 90 days earlier in the calendar call and the court accommodated that schedule).

Directions and next steps: Lynch was directed to text family contact information to courtroom staff and to provide any recent medical evaluations to the court and the jail; probation and the sheriff's office were asked to coordinate on scheduling evaluations. The court made clear that, if the defendants become competent, the state may offer pleas that could include time-served dispositions; if not, the court will move forward with evaluations and report-back procedures.

Quotes: Judge Tammy Long Hayward told family members, "We don't go through the DBHDD if we don't have to because it takes a long time. So if he has a current evaluation, and the attorney can have access to that for him, that would be helpful." Kevin Lewis said of his brother's placement: "He's actually back on his medication. He's seeing a doctor." Dietra Walker asked to be included in communications: "Is there any way that I can be included in any kind of communications that are happening, because ... he is definitely diagnosed with mental illness."

Ending: The court emphasized the need for immediate family contact, timely access to medical records and for defense counsel to coordinate with jail staff. The Brown matter was continued 30 days; Lewis' case was reset for October 21 at 10 a.m. to allow evaluations and placement confirmations.