A Georgia judge mistakenly delivered a guilty verdict this week, confusing the courtroom with his announcement.
Alton Oliver, 26, went to trial last week on charges in connection with the 2022 fatal shooting of Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy James Thomas Jr. Thomas, who was 24, was found dead in a crashed vehicle.
Oliver was charged with six criminal counts, officials said, including three counts of murder. On Aug. 15, he was found not guilty and cleared of all charges by a jury of his peers, Judge Henry Newkirk announced.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy James Thomas Jr. before he was fatally shot in December 2022.
According to 11Alive and Fox 5 Atlanta, Oliver testified he shot Thomas Jr. in self-defense after the deputy propositioned him to get into his vehicle for sex multiple times as he walked home from work at about 4:30 a.m.
Oliver’s attorneys claimed self-defense throughout the trial, as prosecutors argued his account of events was inconsistent, noting he did not mention any sexual advances when first questioned by police, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
The jury found Oliver not guilty, but Newkirk initially announced a guilty verdict on all six counts.
Shortly after, at least two members of the jury were heard saying from the jury box, “Wait, what?” The judge paused, footage from the trial shows, then he reread the verdict.
