Judge Mistakenly Reads Guilty Verdict Before Correcting to Not Guilty in Deputy Shooting Case

A courtroom in Atlanta was thrown into confusion Thursday after a judge mistakenly announced a guilty verdict in a high-profile case, only to quickly correct himself.

The moment captured on video was shared on social media by journalist Meghann Cuniff. It showed the judge reading the verdict in the trial of a man, Alton Oliver, charged with the fatal 2022 shooting of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy.

"We the jury find the defendant guilty as to all six counts of the indictment," the judge said. Immediately, murmurs of confusion rippled through the courtroom, and members of the jury were heard saying, "What?" and "Nah."

Judge Henry Newkirk quickly stopped and asked, "Didn't I say not guilty?" to which the jury and others in the courtroom responded, "No."

Realizing the immense error, the judge reread the verdict as not guilty on all six counts and acquitted the defendant of all charges related to the deputy's death. He then apologized for what he described as a "mispronunciation."

Judges getting things wrong in a trial is nothing new. In 2024, an Ontario Superior Court justice admitted he mistakenly levied a prison sentence two years longer than he intended at the end of a manslaughter case, all because he read the wrong verdict in court. According to a letter from the judge, he knew he made a mistake right away but waited an entire year to acknowledge the fumble.

"I acknowledge that the timing and scope of this letter to the Court of Appeal may be somewhat unprecedented, and is an extraordinary step in this criminal proceeding," the judge wrote. "Nevertheless, I feel strongly compelled and duty bound."