Clayton County State Court accepts multiple pleas, signs release modification and orders mental‑health evaluation during Oct. 7 jail calendar

Clayton County State Court Judge Tammy Long Hayward presided over a jail calendar on Oct. 7 in Courtroom 304 at the Clayton County Justice Center in Jonesboro, where the court accepted negotiated pleas in multiple cases, signed a modification providing credit for time served in one matter and ordered a mental‑health evaluation in another.

The most immediate outcomes included a modification signed to credit time served for Tavares Lemaine Jones, pleas accepted in cases involving Reginald Antonio Johnson, Caprisha Mack, Teresa Shandell Huff, Obed Habakkuk Martinez and Lashandra Denise Willis, and an order directing a mental‑health evaluation for Andrew Lee Wilcox.

Why this matters: The jail calendar resolved several pending matters that will affect individual defendants’ custody status, probation conditions and future court dates. Several of the dispositions included conditions — such as stay‑away orders, substance‑abuse evaluations, community service and suspended fines — that will be enforced through probation or could lead to arrest if violated.

Court actions and outcomes

- Tavares Lemaine Jones: Judge Hayward signed a modification that credits Jones with time served in lieu of a fine and indicated the jail would release him once the modification is processed. The court noted it was not aware of any other holds on Jones.

- Reginald Antonio Johnson (2025CR08912 and related files): Johnson entered a negotiated plea to a criminal trespass charge. The state had recommended "12 months to serve, 10 days; balance suspended" and the court accepted the plea and applied credit for time served where appropriate. The record shows Johnson has other pending matters in the court file that defense counsel and the prosecutor discussed resolving globally.

- Caprisha Mack (2022CR01028): The court accepted a no‑contest plea to disorderly conduct and imposed a sentence of 12 months with 24 hours to serve, 1 hour credit for time served, and a suspended balance with a $100 fine suspended. The court also ordered that Mack not return to Mixer Bar and Grill in Jonesboro and not have contact with a specified person.

- Teresa Shandell Huff (2022CR06290 and related 2024CR08522): Huff pleaded guilty to the per se DUI count with a merger of one related count. The court accepted the plea and imposed 12 months with 24 hours to serve (credit for time served), balance probated, a $300 fine (with surcharges expected to raise the total), 40 hours of community service, completion of a DUI risk‑reduction program, a substance‑abuse evaluation and random testing while on probation. The judge temporarily suspended supervision fees for three months to allow Huff time to secure employment and emphasized she must comply with existing bond conditions in the other pending case.

- Andrew Lee Wilcox (2025CR08812): After observing Wilcox’s difficulty following questioning, the court determined a mental‑health evaluation was appropriate and ordered the paperwork for the evaluation.

- Obed Habakkuk Martinez (2024CR10222): Martinez pleaded guilty to speeding; his tint violation was nolle prossed. The state recommended a $500 fine; the judge set the fine and noted the surcharge would increase the amount to $737.50 and allowed options for payment (in‑person, online or by phone) and at least 30 days to pay.

- Lashandra Denise Willis (case from 2025): Willis entered a no‑contest plea to criminal trespass. The court accepted the plea and sentenced her to 12 months, to serve 45 days with balance suspended, and ordered her to stay away from the Texaco and Checkers locations identified in the charge. The judge recommended Willis speak to a jail chaplain before release for assistance with housing resources.

Other calendar notes

- Raven Annette Long, Cabari Cabaris Lemaine Jones and others were noted as out on bond or OTB (out to bond) and placed on future calendars. The court moved certain matters — including Miss McKnight’s probation‑revocation matter — for two weeks so defense counsel and other stakeholders could explore coordination with felony or behavioral‑health court where applicable.

- During the hearing accepting Caprisha Mack’s plea, Judge Hayward admonished against public fights and advised Mack to avoid returning to the specified bar, saying, "It's always better to walk away than to fight in public. We're too grown for that." The judge also gave extended, case‑specific counseling to Teresa Huff about seeking employment, benefits and stable housing as part of compliance with probation conditions.

Procedural and administrative details

- The state was represented in multiple matters by Solicitor General Charles Brooks. Defense attorneys who appeared during the calendar included Owen Lynch, MJ Tortorello and Don Pulliam. Court staff and the clerk’s office assisted with communications and sending email/payment information to defendants where required.

- The court repeatedly advised defendants to verify and keep current contact information with the clerk’s office, to review bond conditions before leaving the building and to comply with probation directives (including reporting and program enrollment) to avoid warrants for failure to appear or violations.

The calendar was adjourned after completion of the listed matters. The court indicated the next session would be at the scheduled time on the court docket.