Clayton County State Court accepts multiple pleas, imposes suspended sentences and fines on Jan. 15 arraignment calendar
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Summary
Judge Tammy Long Hayward presided over a packed Jan. 15 arraignment calendar in Courtroom 304, accepting negotiated pleas in multiple traffic, DUI and misdemeanor cases; typical dispositions included suspended 12‑month terms with short jail credit, fines with surcharges, probation and PTI referrals.
Judge Tammy Long Hayward opened the Jan. 15, 2026, 10:00 a.m. arraignment calendar in Clayton County State Court (Courtroom 304) by advising defendants of their rights, the three plea options (not guilty, guilty, nolo contendere) and the potential consequences of entering pleas, including effects on commercial driver’s licenses. “Everyone is entitled to have an attorney represent you,” Hayward told the virtual courtroom, and she repeatedly warned that pleas can be hard to undo.
The court resolved dozens of matters across the morning and into the 11:00 and 1:00 calendars. Several defendants accepted negotiated pleas that the court approved and sentenced consistent with state recommendations. A typical disposition the judge imposed was a suspended 12‑month sentence with a short period of jail credited as time served (commonly 1–2 days), probation, and fines with surcharges. For example, Tony Davion Brown entered a nolo contendere plea to speeding (31–34 mph) and was sentenced to 12 months with 1 day to serve and the balance suspended contingent on no new violations; the court noted a cash‑bond refund process for any bond the defendant had paid. Christian Anthony Ranger pleaded guilty to a 2022 speeding charge and the court accepted credit for time served and a suspended balance under similar terms.
Several DUI cases produced more extensive conditions. Kenya Lamar Hunter Jr., charged in a second‑DUI matter, accepted a negotiated disposition that the state described after officers reported field findings including HGN results and slurred speech; the recommendation — and what the judge accepted — included jail time to satisfy statutory custody requirements, an $800 fine (plus statutory surcharges), 240 hours of community service, a risk‑reduction course, substance‑abuse evaluation and random testing. In addressing Hunter, Hayward emphasized public‑safety stakes: “there is nothing any court could sentence you to that would be worse than if you had to wake up every morning knowing that you killed somebody.”
Other traffic and misdemeanor cases were resolved by plea or documentation submission. Courtney Nicole Snead was given the opportunity to provide registration and insurance documents; because she had served a day in custody, the state and court agreed to credit time served for her school‑zone speeding charge and no‑process several administrative counts if she produced the paperwork. Nikita Emily Sharp pleaded guilty to shoplifting and received a sentence that included a one‑day credit for time served, community service, an anti‑theft course and a monetary fine with surcharges.
Where defendants did not appear or where records were incomplete, the court entered bench warrants or continued matters for verification. The court referred eligible defendants to pretrial intervention (PTI) when screening indicated potential suitability, placed several defendants on motions calendars for suppression hearings, and instructed counsel and the clerk’s office to coordinate breakout conferences and follow‑up paperwork. Judge Hayward repeatedly directed defendants to the traffic court window on the second floor (9151 Tara Boulevard) for payment and paperwork and reminded CDL holders to consider potential employment consequences before entering pleas.
The arraignment calendar concluded with the judge listing outstanding matters, noting several bench warrants, and directing parties to scheduled follow‑up dates or probation intake as appropriate. Where the state requested time to verify a defendant’s status (for example, whether a named individual was deceased), the court agreed to a short verification period before entering a formal no‑process.
What happens next: defendants who accepted negotiated pleas were given the usual instructions for paying fines or reporting to probation; those who entered not‑guilty pleas were advised that their cases will proceed to trial calendars and to maintain contact information so counsel and the court can reach them. The court warned that missed deadlines for payments or failure to appear can result in arrest warrants.
Exact outcomes recorded by the court this session included multiple nolo/guilty pleas with suspended 12‑month sentences and short custody credits, fines (commonly $100 plus surcharges for traffic fines; larger fines and community‑service or treatment requirements in DUI and theft cases), PTI referrals and several continuances for documentation or verification.
