TALLADEGA, Ala. – Bobby Ronchea Brown, 20, was found not guilty on all charges related to the Brian Ogle beating in 2016 by Talladega County Circuit Judge Bo Hollingsworth.
Brian Ogle was 17 at the time of his assault which took place in the then vacant parking lot of the old Coast-to-Coast building on W. Ft. Williams St. in late September last year. Ogle’s mother, Brandi Allen, previously told SylacaugaNews.com that while her son physically healed from the wounds, he still has cognitive and sight issues.
Four were arrested after an investigation by police. Quartez Lamar Walker (20), Bobby Ronchea Brown (19), Landah Grant Ealy Jr. (18), and Davion Shameraya Nix (20), were all arrested on first and second degree assault charges. Two of the defendants were arrested by police in Tuscaloosa; Ealy was arrested on the campus of Auburn University at Montgomery.
“Our life is a living hell on a daily basis because of these four men,” Allen said in May. “We had to put our house on the market because of the fear our family lives in on a daily basis, and I had to pull my youngest son out of Nichols-Lawson Middle School because of a similar situation.”
During the process of this case, District Attorney Steve Giddens recused himself from the case, and the Attorney General’s Office appointed John Gibbs as special prosecutor.
In May, Brown was granted youthful offender status. Youthful offenders (YO) in Alabama are no longer eligible to face more than three years in prison and waive their rights to appear in front of a jury. Additionally, their arrest and conviction records will be hidden from the public. During (YO) trails, the courtrooms are closed to the public and the media. YOs do not face a jury in the state of Alabama, instead, the judge has the final word.
Ealy was also granted YO status in this case. His trail is expected to begin Wednesday, July 19. Nix and Walker also applied for YO status but were denied.
Nix and Walker will be forced to face a jury of their peers. Their trails are expected to begin sometime in August. Walker is accused of using a handgun to assault Ogle. If convicted of First Degree Assault, Nix and Walker could face a minimum of two years and up to 20 years in jail.
Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
