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Clayton County State Court hears pleas, sentences and continuances during Oct. 21 jail calendar
Summary
The Oct. 21 jail and arraignment calendar in Clayton County State Court produced multiple pleas, sentences, continuances and bench-warrant actions, including guilty pleas, no-contest pleas and several cases continued for medical or procedural reasons.
Clayton County State Court conducted arraignments and jail-calendar matters on Oct. 21 in Courtroom 304, resolving multiple pleas, imposing sentences in several misdemeanor cases, continuing others for medical reasons, and issuing bench-warrant bond-forfeiture notices where defendants were not present.
Among the dispositions the court accepted were a no-contest plea and fine in a speeding case, guilty pleas in theft and trespass matters, and multiple short custodial sentences with balance suspended on condition of no new offenses or successful completion of recommended programs. The court also continued cases for medical reasons and scheduled a bond hearing for one defendant at the next jail calendar.
Key case outcomes and procedural orders announced or entered:
- Canaan Blue Downer (case 2024CR09928): Entered a plea of nolo contendere to speeding (count 1); count 2 merged. The court imposed a $500 base fine (total with surcharges $737.50) and gave 30 days to pay; clerk to email payment instructions. Downer said he would pay the fine today but was given 30 days.
- Marcus Davis (case 2025CR09452): Entered a no-contest plea to counts 1 and 3; count 2 was nolle prossed. The court sentenced Davis to 12 months, credited 23 days (time served), with the monetary balance suspended.
- D'Angelo Michael Durden (case 2025CR09583): Pleaded guilty to theft by shoplifting. The court sentenced Durden to 12 months with 29 days to serve credited as time served; the balance suspended on condition of no further violations.
- O'Garrus (O'Garius) McGee (case 2025CR09383): Pleaded guilty to battery (count 1); remaining counts merged. The court imposed 12 months with 21 days to serve (credit for time served), the balance probated, and ordered anger management and a moral-recognition-type course plus a suspended $300 fine and no contact with the victim.
- Shakia (Shaquia) McKnight (cases 2025CR03522 and 2025CR08814): On a probation-revocation petition, McKnight stipulated to the violation; the court ordered 90 days to serve (credit from date of lockup), to run concurrent with other sentence. On the new case, McKnight pled guilty to multiple counts; the court imposed concurrent sentences (up to 12 months with 90 days to serve) with balances suspended, per the state recommendation.
- Portia Martin (case 2025CR09584): Entered guilty pleas to criminal trespass (count 1), obstruction (count 2) and public indecency (count 3). The court sentenced Martin to 12 months with 22 days credited as time served on counts 1 and 3 (balances suspended); count 2 carries a suspended $300 fine. The court discussed and declined a formal mental-health evaluation tied to services, but ordered that Martin must comply with conditions of release.
- Shontavia Lawrence (case 2025CR08810): Entered a no-contest plea to criminal trespass. The court imposed 12 months to serve with 52 days credited as time served, balance suspended and a 'do-not-return' directive for the location named by the state.
- Leroy Frost (case 2025CR09360): Pleaded guilty to criminal trespass. The court sentenced Frost to 12 months with 27 days credited as time served, balance probated, ordered restitution of $640 to the victim (payment address provided), and imposed a stay-away order from the specified address.
- Brandy Harris (cases 2025CR09401 and 2025CR09408): For loitering/prowling, the court accepted a nolo plea and imposed 12 months with 39 days credit (balance suspended). For theft by shoplifting, the court accepted a guilty plea and imposed 12 months with 130 days credited as time served; the court required payment of the $500 statutory amount or 50 hours of community service, with the fine to be paid within 90 days of release; the court also ordered an anti-shoplifting education course.
- Emily Lynn Stansell (case 2025CR09384): Pleaded guilty to theft by shoplifting; the court sentenced her to 12 months with 30 days to serve, the balance suspended conditioned on no return to the identified Dollar General store and no new offenses.
- Kenneth Mahone (case 2025CR08374): Entered a guilty plea to driving under the influence less safe. The court accepted the plea and imposed 12 months with credit for time served since lockup (28 days specified), balance probated, and ordered a substance abuse evaluation and treatment as needed, random testing, 40 hours of community service, completion of a DUI risk-reduction course, and payment of fines; probation fees were waived for three months to allow medical expense management.
Other procedural matters: the court issued bench-warrant bond forfeitures where defendants were not present (for example, Donald Allen Campbell and Elias Gabriel Rivera were noted as subjects for bench-warrant action), continued William Moses Taylor's arraignment for medical reasons (reset in about one month), accepted a not-guilty plea for Quentin Ford Willis and continued his work-up, and rescheduled a bond hearing for Emmanuel Monfisto to the next jail calendar (Oct. 28) so the state could contact a witness.
The court repeatedly reminded defendants that plea advisements waive rights to trial and that guilty or no-contest pleas may affect immigration status. Several defendants were directed to complete classes (anger management, moral-recognition-type programs, anti-shoplifting) or treatment as conditions of probation. Where restitution and fines were ordered, the court provided payment instructions or allowed alternative community-service options.
