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Judge accepts multiple negotiated pleas, orders jail time and probation conditions in Clayton County arraignments
Summary
At an April 28, 2026, Clayton County State Court arraignment, the judge accepted negotiated pleas in a series of cases, ordered short jail terms with balances suspended in several matters, set probation conditions including testing and support meetings, and set aside bench warrants after address confirmations.
A judge in Clayton County State Court presided over a virtual arraignment and jail calendar on April 28, 2026, accepting negotiated pleas and imposing sentences or probation conditions in multiple cases.
The calendar opened with counsel arranging private breakout conferences before the court took pleas. The judge set aside at least one bench warrant after defense counsel confirmed a defendant’s mailing address for the clerk.
In a traffic case, Eddie Eugene Everett (case 2023CR03445) entered a plea resolving a lane-change count; the court accepted the disposition and ordered a $100 fine plus surcharges for a total of $153, allowing up to 60 days to pay or payment at the traffic window in the Justice Center. "You're free to go at this time," the judge said after explaining payment options.
The judge also accepted a negotiated plea for Terry Williams (2023CR03468). Defense counsel Owen Lynch said the state agreed to dismiss one count; Williams pleaded guilty to the remaining count and the court imposed a $100 fine for the tag offense, with total surcharges bringing the amount to $298 and a 30-day payment window.
Maurice Powell’s matters were resolved by a combination of no-contest and guilty pleas. The court accepted the plea package, ordered counts to run concurrent, and approved a 12-month, pay-only probation disposition with the option to suspend supervision fees for the first three months. The judge directed Powell to report to probation intake in Courtroom 305.
The court addressed several petitions for revocation of probation. Joseph Shartran Walsh pleaded no contest to a theft-by-taking charge (2026CR04728) after prosecutors said surveillance identified him taking merchandise from JJ’s Produce in Forest Park; the court imposed 12 months with 30 days to serve (credit for time served) and ordered 45 days revoked on the revocation petition with credit from the lockup date, to be suspended after service so long as Walsh complies.
For Ricardo Cortez Woodford (2022CR0860), the court found a positive drug test and incomplete programming but acknowledged Woodford had completed community service and obtained new employment. Probation recommended weekly testing and community-support meetings; the judge ordered weekly substance testing, two support meetings per week, and a Friday-morning probation check-in.
Andre Justin Hogan pleaded guilty to terroristic threats after the state said he threatened to burn a residence. The court sentenced Hogan to 12 months with 20 days to serve (credit for time served) and suspended the balance on the condition that he avoid the address listed in the case and have no contact with the named victims.
Samuel Lee Sessions entered a no-contest plea in a simple-battery case involving an assault on a nurse. The judge accepted the plea and imposed a 12‑month sentence with 25 days to serve (credit for time served) and ordered no contact with the alleged victim, Walter Horn.
Aubrey Wells pleaded no contest in a case stemming from repeated 911 calls in which he reported an alleged home invasion and claimed cameras were hidden in his walls. Prosecutors found no cameras; the court accepted the plea and imposed 12 months with 10 days to serve (credit for time served). The state recommended a mental-health evaluation, which the judge raised as an option; the judge also advised Wells to obtain a copy of his deed to assist police with future property-dispute responses.
Throughout the session, defense counsel and probation officers prompted the court to consider individual circumstances — including financial hardship, incarceration dates, and partial completion of programming — when imposing conditions. The judge frequently emphasized defendants’ obligations to report to probation and follow court-ordered program requirements.
The court concluded the arraignment/jail calendar after signing bench-warrant set-aside orders and directed clerks and attorneys to follow up on payment and probation reporting instructions.
What happens next: defendants with payment schedules were instructed how to pay at the traffic window or online; those with probation requirements were ordered to report as directed and to comply with testing and support-group conditions.
