State appeals court rejects Newton molester’s claims Said he was improperly represented at 2019 trial before receiving life sentence
The Georgia Court of Appeals has rejected a Covington man’s claim he was ineffectively represented in a Newton County court before he was sentenced to life in prison on rape and child molestation charges in April 2019.
A three-judge panel rejected Thomas Anthony Sky’s argument that his trial attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel before Sky’s conviction in Newton County Superior Court on April 17, 2019.
His arguments included his attorney did not properly prepare for the case, did not call a key witness, did not question incorrect assertions by the State during the trial, and other claims, according to court records.
Cherokee County woman sentenced to life in prison for 2017 Covington murder Rita Dugar - photo by Special to The Covington News
COVINGTON, Ga. A Cherokee County woman was sentenced to life in prison after her Wednesday conviction on charges from the 2017 shooting murder of a man in Covington.
Rita Mary Dugar, 30, of Canton, was convicted in Newton County Superior Court on one count of Felony Murder in the Feb. 28, 2017, shooting death of Jon Trevor Townley, 24, outside a Newton County residence.
A press release at the time stated that Newton County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a person shot at 105 Sunflower Lane in Covington around 2 a.m. They found Townley in the front yard bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound.
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By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. April hearing tentatively planned on appeal of Covington statue removal ruling Supporters of 114-year-old memorial hosting online and in-person fundraisers From left, county government attorney Megan Martin, Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) attorney Kyle King, and Newton County resident Tiffany Humphries during a July 20, 2020, hearing on an injunction request from the SCV and Humphries in Superior Court in Covington. - photo by Tom Spigolon
COVINGTON, Ga. A tentative hearing date has been set for a state appeals court to hear arguments on a judge’s September ruling favoring the county government’s planned removal of a Confederate monument from the Covington Square.
Judge denies bond for Newton woman accused in mother’s 2019 murder Carly Suzanne Walden
COVINGTON, Ga. A judge has denied bond for a 36-year-old woman accused of murder in the April 2019 shooting death of her mother in Covington.
Superior Court Judge Cheveda McCamy denied setting a bond for Carly Suzanne Walden today, Dec. 10.
Assistant District Attorney Jillian Hall asked McCamy not to set a bond that would allow her to be released from jail while she awaited trial.
“We felt that she was a danger to the community if she was let out on bond,” Hall said.
Walden was charged after her mother, Andrea Walker, 57, was found dead from a gunshot wound in the home they shared on Alcovy Way in Covington on April 28, 2019.