Gary Dewayne Bailey, 43, was found guilty of rape, child molestation, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in a jury trial in the courtroom of Superior Court Senior Judge S. Lark Ingram.

The verdict was handed down on November 1, 2024, and sentencing will be scheduled later.

A public information release from Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. described the events leading to the arrest and conviction as follows:

In June 2023, the victim’s mother reported to the Cobb County Police that her daughter had been raped by the defendant in 2019 and 2020. The victim did not disclose the abuse until 2023, prompting the Special Victims Unit to initiate an investigation.

During a forensic interview at the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in DeKalb County, where she was living at the time, the victim revealed that the abuse started when she was 12 years old, with the defendant touching her inappropriately.

The molestation escalated to sexual intercourse in his truck at various locations in the Powder Springs area. Bailey also provided the victim with alcohol and marijuana on multiple occasions before sexually abusing her.

“I am proud of the work done by our team in securing this conviction. This case shows that abuse will not go unchecked in Cobb County. We will continue to support survivors and ensure that those who prey on children face the consequences of their actions,” said Broady.

Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Raynor and Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Adcock prosecuted the case.

Atlanta attorney Judy Kim represented the defendant.

What is Cobb County Superior Court?

In Georgia, the Superior Court is one of three trial courts found in each judicial circuit.  The other two trial courts are State Courts and Probate Courts.

If you watch TV or movie courtroom dramas you’ll be familiar with the most high-profile role of the court. A Superior Court in Georgia would be the court where a murder trial would be conducted.

So the Superior Court conducts felony trials.

But it also handles a number of other types of cases.

The Georgia Superior Courts website describes the varied functions as follows:

The Superior Courts of Georgia is a court of general jurisdiction handling both civil and criminal law actions. Superior Court Judges preside over cases involving misdemeanors, contract disputes, premises liability, and various other actions. In addition, the Superior Court has exclusive equity jurisdiction over all cases of divorce, title to land, and felonies involving jury trials, including death penalty cases.

How are Superior Court judges chosen?

Superior Court judges are elected for four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.  If a judge resigns or retires, the governor will appoint a replacement to serve out the judge’s unexpired term.

The requirements to run for a Superior Court seat are that the candidate be at least thirty years old, has been a Georgia citizen for at least three years, and the candidate has practiced law for at least seven years.

How do I learn about Superior Court judges before elections?

Judicial races are among the most difficult for the public to research, but the internet has made it easier.

For Cobb County judicial elections there are a number of media that cover the courts and candidates, including here at the Cobb County Courier, the Marietta Daily Journal, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and East Cobb News.

For biographies of judicial candidates, you can also visit the campaign web pages of the candidates.  Those biographies are of course, written to put the candidate in the best light, but it’s a good starting point for determining the candidate’s educational and employment background.

To get a list of the candidates, visit the Georgia Secretary of State page for qualified candidate information at https://sos.ga.gov/qualifying-candidate-information

Superior Court is considered a state office, so you would select “State” on the Office Type pulldown menu, the General Primary/Special Election under the Election menu, and “Non Partisan” under the Party menu.  Then under Offices scroll down the pulldown menu until you find the Superior Court race you are looking for.