Cobb County Superior Court Judge Angela Z. Brown sentenced Rodney Jacob Sanders, 26, to life without the possibility of parole in connection with the death of an Acworth man during an attempted home invasion robbery in May of 2023.

Sanders was convicted on multiple charges, including “one count voluntary manslaughter, five counts felony murder, two counts aggravated assault, one count criminal attempt to commit home invasion in the first degree, one count conspiracy to commit home invasion in the first degree, one count criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, one count conspiracy to commit armed robbery, one count burglary, one count conspiracy to commit burglary.”

A public information release from the office of Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady described the events leading to the arrest and conviction of Sanders as follows:

On May 16, 2023, Sanders and three accomplices—Cibias Vieira, Jaiden Crawford, and David Travis—attempted to break into a victim’s Acworth home while he was away. After the initial burglary, Sanders returned to the residence under the pretense of assisting with door repairs needed due to the break-in. While pretending to help, Sanders relayed information back to his accomplices.

Three hours later, the three co-defendants returned to the victim’s home while he was inside with his girlfriend. As the victim attempted to block entry by bracing himself against the door, he called to his girlfriend to “get the gun.” At that moment, two of the defendants fired through the door, striking and fatally wounding the victim.

All three accomplices testified against Sanders. Their testimonies identified Sanders as the orchestrator of the events leading to the victim’s death. Vieira received a sentence of 35 years, with 25 to serve; Travis, 35 years with 25 to serve; and Crawford, 20 years with 15 to serve.

“This life sentence ensures Sanders is held fully accountable for his actions and serves as a reminder that such crimes will not be tolerated in Cobb County,” said Broady. “We are grateful to the jurors, law enforcement, and our prosecution team for their dedication in bringing justice to the victim and his family.”

Assistant District Attorneys Jason D. Treadaway and Karyn Boothe prosecuted the case.

Smyrna attorney Kevin J. Rodgers 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.