Judge Hayward accepts multiple DUI pleas, imposes fines, probation and treatment requirements

Judge Hayward on Tuesday accepted guilty or no-contest pleas in multiple DUI and related cases in Clayton County State Court, imposing a mix of credit-for-time-served jail terms, probation, fines and court-ordered treatment and monitoring.

The cases combined routine plea paperwork with pointed remarks from the bench about the risks of impaired driving. In each sentencing, the judge stressed that failure to report to probation or to complete ordered conditions was the fastest path back to jail.

Martinez Hall (case 2022CR01872) pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and to a separate misdemeanor traffic offense; the court accepted a negotiated recommendation that included credit for time served, 12 months on probation, a $300 fine (the judge warned surcharges would push the total higher), 40 hours of community service, a substance-abuse evaluation, enrollment in a risk-reduction program and random testing. Prosecutors said Hall’s blood test returned a BAC of 0.215; officers had also reported an improper lane change and on-scene signs of impairment.

Caberella Celeste Penix (case 2022CR02017) pleaded guilty to DUI per se. The state said Penix’s blood alcohol…