Former Augusta District Attorney Natalie Paine released this statement following current D.A. Jared Williams’ defense of dismissing murder charges against Antoine Redfield, the man charged with killing 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony:
On March 3, 2020, the Richmond County Grand Jury indicted Charvez Lawson and Antoine Redfield on murder charges. On March 14, 2020, the Georgia Supreme Court shut down the judicial system for COVID. This lasted the duration of the remainder of my term. We had to indict the case within 90 days of arrest or the defendant would have been entitled to bond. As such, even though we were still gathering information at the time, we took the case to Grand Jury anticipating adding gang charges once we had the completed file. Those charges were supported by the evidence just as the gang charges would have been.
First Offenders and Convicted Felons are prohibited from possessing firearms in this state. Additionally, gang members engaging in a shoot out in the parking lot of a public establishment most certainly constitutes a violation of the Criminal Street Gang Act. There are always complications with cases that must be overcome; however, in situations where loss of life has occurred and public safety is at stake, my position was always that a jury of the defendant’s peers should decide the fate of the accused. What I can unequivocally state is that nothing that I am aware of regarding the Lawson/Redfield case would have ever caused me to allow or consent to an outright dismissal.
Arbrie Anthony’s precious young life was cut short by senseless gang violence. At the end of the day, every single person who sits back and does nothing while gang violence continues to rob our youth of their lives bares responsibility. My heart goes out to her family.
Thanks,
Natalie S. Paine
