There was brief confusion in the Fulton County courtroom on Friday after a judge incorrectly declared a man guilty of murdering a sheriff’s deputy, but was swiftly corrected by jurors who actually acquitted him.
Alton Deshawn Oliver, 26, was acquitted on all six counts in the December 2022 shooting death of Deputy James Thomas Jr. It came after more than nine hours of jury deliberation. When Senior Judge Henry M. Newkirk began to read the verdict, however, his verbal slip sent the courtroom into temporary disarray.
“We the jury find the defendant guilty as to all six counts,”
Newkirk initially said, before catching himself.
“We the jury find the defendant not guilty on all six counts. I apologize for my mispronunciation.”
The decision terminated nearly three years of litigation and a trial that followed closely in the court and on the web.
On December 29, 2022, Deputy James Thomas, who was 24, was discovered shot to death in his vehicle on northwest Atlanta’s Bolton Road. Four days later, Oliver was arrested and charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possessing a gun during the commission of a felony.
During the subsequent two years, Oliver rejected a plea deal and readied for trial. His defense attorneys claimed he had acted in self-defense, charging that Thomas off duty had made continual sexual advances and looped back around him in his car. Prosecutors characterized those assertions as contradictory and maintained the shooting was not justified.
During closing remarks, Judge Newkirk praised the jury for their diligence, saying:
“This case falls in that category, a pretty tough call. But we appreciate your hard work and reaching your decision.”
The brief mistake in reading the verdict quickly went viral on social media, with many users sharing short clips showing only the word “guilty.” Some posts falsely claimed Oliver had been convicted, prompting confusion and outrage online.
The district attorney’s office in Fulton County stated that it accepted the decision of the jury, although it had carried on the prosecution
“with the greatest seriousness in light of the death of a deputy.”
The sheriff’s department characterized the verdict as
“deeply disappointing to the family of Deputy Thomas”
but thanked the jury for serving.
Oliver’s defense attorney, Kristin Howell, called the acquittal
“a recognition that fear for one’s life, no matter who the aggressor is, deserves to be taken seriously.”
The affair represents courtroom human frailty almost as much as it represents the jury’s fundamental role. It also highlights the perils of misinformation in the age of the internet, as a condensed piece of video can spread around the world in minutes.
A tweet from X.
Oliver’s acquittal closes a high-profile case, but the moment of confusion is likely to be remembered as a cautionary tale about accuracy in both court reporting and online information sharing.
As Judge Newkirk told jurors in his closing remarks:
“We could not exist without good folks like you all coming down to make these decisions.”
For Oliver, the verdict means freedom. For the public, it is a reminder of the power of verification in an age where misinformation spreads faster than truth.
