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Woman guilty in child's scalding death
Life sentence handed down for stepdaughter's death
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Erica Brennan sits in the courtroom of the Long County Courthouse during her trial. - photo by Photo by Mike Riddle
if she was guilty, in the span of 10 minutes, Brennan would have gone from being completely calm, to growing enraged and burning Harris, to calling her friend on the phone out of concern. Word also told jurors that if they were “wavering, unsettled or unsatisfied” about Brennan’s guilt, it was their duty to acquit the defendant.
Lead prosecuting attorney Tom Durden countered during his closing statements, saying it is the prosecution’s task to prove Brennan is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt, but the state is not required to prove guilt beyond all doubt.” The DA also said no one could dispute that Harris died after she was scalded, and the only person in the home who could have forcibly held the girl in a tub of hot water was Brennan.
After closing remarks, the jury began deliberations and emerged after finding the defendant guilty of four of the five counts levied against her.     Brennan was found guilty of felony murder, felony murder during the commission of aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated battery. She was not found guilty of malice murder.
Brennan was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the first three charges. For the fourth charge, aggravated battery, she will serve 20 years in prison, to run concurrently to the life sentence, according to Long County Deputy Clerk of Courts Lisa Middleton-Morris.
After the verdict was read, Sarah Harris’ biological mother, Christy Harris, wept and said, “That’s justice for my daughter. I’m satisfied.”
Long County Sheriff’s Office Chief Detective Ty Smith, the case’s chief investigator, said, “Justice was served for little Sarah. She was the victim in all of this and justice was finally served.”
Superior Court Judge David Cavender presided over the trial.
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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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