District Attorney Broder had the honor of presenting on Career Day at St. George's Episcopal School. The students enjoyed learning about the court system and the Office of the District Attorney. If you have an event you would like District Attorney Broder to speak at email her assistant at: daadmin@fayettecountyga.gov
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Hello, everyone! It has been several months since I’ve written a column. My apologies for not being able to post. The past few months have been a whirlwind. My offices have returned to trying cases and it has kept us all very busy. I also added quite a bit of staff to tackle the backlog. Between training, administrative duties, and court, my time was stretched too thin. But as the saying goes…I’m back!
With a new year inevitably comes New Year’s goals or resolutions. I try not to make too many of these and keep it to one or two. One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2022 is to direct some of my attention back to these articles and to a monthly radio broadcast. The Editors were kind enough to give me that opportunity and I am very grateful to have this avenue to communicate with you. I should start by commending my staff, our Judges, Court Services, and the various County officials who helped make sure jury trials could proceed. While the courtrooms may have looked different, we were able to have cases heard without any significant consequences involving COVID. Across the circuit, we tried cases involving murder, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, and child molestation. I was pleased with the outcomes of those trials and the hard work by the attorneys and staff who presented them. I will be spotlighting some of the cases we tried last year and will be trying this year. We’ll start with one case tried in Fayette County. Daquan Gillett was murdered after a squabble arose at a park in Fayette County. A group of high school seniors gathered there to have a water gun fight. What should have been some harmless fun turned deadly when Clayton County resident Sean Allen arrived with a handgun to confront Daquan and his brother. Words were exchanged and Allen and Gillett fought with their fists. The fight appeared to be over when Allen then approached Gillett, shooting him in the back of the head and the leg. The Defendant, Allen claimed self-defense. Multiple eyewitnesses testified and there was surveillance video of much of the incident as well. The trial lasted a week. The jury deliberated Thursday afternoon, and all-day Friday. The Judge had them return on Sunday, December 18th. After many nerve-wracking hours of deliberation, the jury reached a decision. Allen was found guilty of murder and aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison. The case was tried by a tough as nails prosecutor, Monique Harris. This was Monique’s first murder case. She never gave up fighting for Daquan and his senseless murder, despite the challenges she faced. Sometimes, in this job, the fight is just as important as the outcome. Monique stood firm and fought hard for this conviction. She stood for what was right. I couldn’t be prouder. Senior Assistant District Attorney Dan Hiatt was her second chair and showed exceptional leadership throughout the trial. I know firsthand the toll trials like this take on my Assistants. They eat, breathe, and sleep these cases. These trials take them away from their children, spouses, and daily lives. They do it because they love it and still believe that we can make a difference in this world. I’m lucky to have each one of them on my team. In this brand-new year of 2022, I believe great things lie ahead for our office as we fight to protect our community and punish those who want to harm it. I look forward to keeping you informed throughout 2022. Until next time, stay safe and be kind to one another! "Here's How a Georgia Prosecutor Got Justice for a Man Murdered Before She Was Born"
Please tune into A&E at 9pm tonight for the new season on Cold Case Files. The Timothy Coggin's Murder Cold Case. Our District Attorney Marie Broder was part of the trial team and will be featured. https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/timothy-coggins District Attorney Broder presented a donation from her office to Fayetteville Police Chief Scott Gray for the Department's Jr. Police Academy and Citizen's Police Academy Programs. These valuable programs are offered at no charge to the public by veteran police officers and provide citizens the unique opportunity to learn more about local law enforcement in their community
12/20/2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Sunday, December 19th, a Fayette County jury convicted Sean Allen, a 20-year-old male from Jonesboro, Georgia, of Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault. Allen was convicted after a weeklong trial and two days of deliberation. The State was represented by Assistant District Attorney Monique Harris and Assistant District Attorney Dan Hiatt. The Honorable Benjamin D. Coker sentenced the defendant to Life in prison after the jury announced its verdict. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The case stemmed from a shooting at Kenwood Park in Fayetteville, Georgia. Daquan Gillett, an 18-year-old senior at Riverdale High School was there with his brother and friends to participate in a water gun fight in celebration of graduation. As they were playing with their water guns, a group of males led by Sean Allen walked down from the basketball court and engaged in a verbal confrontation with the twin brothers. Sean Allen and another one of his friends were both illegally carrying loaded firearms at the time. The verbal confrontation led to a physical altercation which resulted in Sean Allen dropping his firearm. That fight concluded and Sean Allen retrieved his firearm from the ground prior to initiating a second physical altercation with the victim. During the second altercation, Sean Allen again dropped his firearm which led to a scramble to pick up the firearm. The victim picked up the firearm and retreated from the altercation. Subsequently, Sean Allen grabbed the second firearm and ran towards the victim firing multiple shots in his direction. The victim sustained two fatal gunshot wounds, one in the back of his leg and the other in the back of his head. The defendant and his friends fled the scene while the victim’s twin brother and friends attempted to render aid as they awaited the arrival of EMS. The incident was captured on the park surveillance video system which helped to secure the convictions against the defendant for Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault. District Attorney Marie Broder said of the case: “This case is a reflection of a growing trend in this Circuit and across the State where altercations turn deadly because of the unlawful use of a firearm. The results for the young people involved in this case were tragic. This past week, my office worked incredibly hard to present this case, and I am exceptionally proud of their efforts. I would also like to extend my thanks for the incredible work of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office in its investigation. My prayers go out to the family of the victim. To those who inflict tragic and senseless gun violence in my Circuit, know this, the agencies within this Circuit and my office will use all our resources to prosecute you and keep this Circuit a safe place to be. May this case be a message to you that we will do everything we can to make sure our parks remain safe for our children.” Our District Attorney inspires students at The Foundry's Career Day! The students participated in a mock trial with District Attorney Broder serving as the prosecutor. After the mock trial they had many insightful and thoughtful questions on the judicial system and the role of the District Attorney's Office.
Tonight's Candlelight Vigil was a truly inspirational event with presentations from Spalding County State Court Judge Josh Thacker, District Attorney Marie Broder and a survivor story from a victim of domestic violence. Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb and law enforcement officers from Upson County, Peachtree City, Fayetteville and Tyrone participated in the vigil. Thank you to Promise Place and the Griffin Circuit Domestic Violence Task Force for hosting the ceremony.
Mario Camacho-Cruz was convicted by a Spalding County jury for Aggravated Sexual Battery and two counts of child molestation after several days of trial. The victim testified about the acts the defendant performed on her. The defendant was a family friend to the child. The Honorable Scott Ballard sentenced the defendant to 40 years with 30 years to be served in prison. ADA Kate Lenhard and ADA Holly McDonald tried the case for the State.
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