Judge directs verdict of acquittal for 2 men on trial for shooting at 4 people in Athens

A judge recently directed a verdict of acquittal in Clarke County Superior Court for two men charged with four counts of aggravated assault.

The trial ended without jury deliberations on Aug. 15 when Judge James E. Cornwell, a senior judge from Toccoa who was brought in to preside over the case, ordered a verdict of not guilty.

Cornwell ruled that the district attorney’s office had failed to identify or connect the defendants to the crime as alleged in the indictment. The judge noted in his order that there was no conflict in the evidence as presented by the state.

The defendants, Trontaveious Latrez Mattox, 21, of Hartwell; and, Tysamin E. Glaze, 23, of Elberton, were charged in a shooting that occurred in September 2021 on East Carver Drive. Four people were inside a vehicle and one person was shot and wounded during the gunfire.

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Athens-Clarke police had charged the two men with the crime. At the time of their arrests, Mattox was a senior in high school and Glaze was a student at Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C.

After Cornwell issued the verdict, he also ruled that Mattox was in contempt of court.

Photographs are not allowed in the courtroom unless the judge grants a ruling to allow photographers. In this case, court documents show that on Thursday Mattox took a picture in court and posted it on social media. Mattox was ordered to pay a $250 fine.

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Neither defendant had been arrested for crimes prior to the arrest on the assault charges, according to court documents.

Glaze was represented by Athens attorney David Crowe and Mattox by Brian Patterson, a former prosecutor.

“There was not one shred of admissible evidence connecting the young men to the crimes and yet, the district attorney’s office persisted in prosecuting the case,” Patterson said in email. “While our hearts go out to the victims, Mr. Mattox and Mr. Glaze are actually innocent and had nothing to do with it."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Judge directs verdict of acquittal for 2 men on trial for shooting at 4 people in Athens