The second week of Jury Trials for Superior Court started on November 13, 2018.  There was one trial; the State v. Billy White.  White was charged by the Grand Jury with one count of Rape and one count of Burglary.  After a two-day trial, the Jury found White guilty of Rape and not guilty of Burglary.  The case was tried by District Attorney Joe Mulholland and Chief Assistant Public Defender Patrick Chisolm.

White forced his way into the victim’s residence on September 9th, 2016.  After entering, White demanded items from the victim and forced her to have sexual intercourse.  The victim of the case, an elderly woman 78 years of age, immediately called police after White fled.  Unable to find White, Bainbridge Public Safety obtained swabs from the victim’s private areas which were later matched to White by CODIS.  CODIS is the DNA database for those convicted of felonies for the State of Georgia.  Law enforcement was able to apprehend White in June of 2017, and the Grand Jury indicted White of the charges.  Although he claimed in his interview with BPS, he didn’t know the victim, at trial White attempted to say that the two had a consensual relationship.  Clearly, the Jury didn’t agree.  After conviction, Superior Court Judge Heather H. Lanier sentenced White.  District Attorney filed recidivist notice in this case based on White’s prior Felony Drug Offense and 3 prior Felony Burglaries.  As such, the Court was mandated to sentence White to the maximum sentence which was Life in Prison w/o the Possibility of Parole.

District Attorney had this to say: “I am very happy we were able to obtain justice for the victim in this case.  We had scientific evidence, a strong jury, and a sympathetic victim.  That trifecta usually leads to success.  There are two groups you simply cannot assault: children and the elderly.  They are society’s most vulnerable.  I am glad that the victim can hopefully sleep better knowing White will never see the light of day again.”