Driver pleads nolo in Clayton County crash case; judge imposes fines and short jail term

Mario Calderon Castellanos entered a plea of nolo contendere to two traffic counts on May 5, 2025, during the 1 p.m. arraignment calendar in Clayton County State Court, Courtroom 304.

The state told the court that on Aug. 14, 2021, officers responding to a two-vehicle crash on Tara Boulevard near Sherwood Drive determined Calderon Castellanos was driving “too close” to another vehicle and was operating without a valid license. The prosecutor recommended fines and a short jail term; defense attorney Jason Kesser told the court his client would accept the recommendation.

Judge Tammy Long Hayward accepted the plea and ordered concurrent penalties. For Count 1 the judge ordered a $500 fine with surcharges (total with surcharges $737.50) and two days in jail suspended, and for Count 2 a $100 fine with surcharges (total $151.50), to run concurrent with Count 1. The judge gave Calderon Castellanos 30 days to pay the fines and noted his cash bond at the jail may be eligible for refund once the case is resolved.

The state’s factual summary as presented to the court identified Demetrius Garlington as the driver of the other vehicle and said officers met a witness identified as Stephanie Martinez, who reported that the defendant forced himself into her home in a separate matter (this victim reference was connected to another arraignment on the calendar). The court record for Calderon Castellanos reflects only the traffic counts described in the prosecutor’s presentation.

The arraignment calendars were handled virtually; courtroom staff and the judge explained virtual procedures to multiple defendants before the case-by-case announcements.