The ending of Atlanta man Alton Oliver’s murder trial was almost as fucked up and wacky as the beginning: According to 11Alive in December 2022 off-duty Fulton County Deputy James Thomas Jr was driving in his personal vehicle at 4:30 AM and saw Oliver walking home from work – and promptly propositioned him for sex. Three times. Oliver was not interested, things escalated, words were exchanged, then bullets, and Thomas ended up dead. Oliver was charged with three counts of murder (one for each bullet), aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree criminal damage to property, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The trial lasted all of three days and the jurors deliberated for one. Fox 5 Atlanta reports there was a bit of confusion as the verdict was was read by Judge Henry Newkirt, who pronounced the jurors had found Oliver guilty on all six counts. The jurors then politely pointed out to the jurist that he had made a mistake. “Didn’t I say not” Newkirt then said, realizing the mistake as Oliver and his team celebrated his acquittal in the death of the horny scumbag deputy and walked out a free man.