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Name:
Patterson, Darren Lee
Date of Booking:
02/18/2026
Reason(s) For Booking:
Cruelty to Animals – 8 Counts
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On January 14, 2026, I, Animal Control Officer H. Trischan and Animal Control Trainee Halpin were dispatched to [100 BLOCK] Sonja Drive in reference to animals being left in a house in disrepair. I made contact with the owner at 1239 hours and arrived on scene at 1308 hours.
The original call we received was in reference to 8 dogs and a ferret being left in the residence with feces all over inside the residence and that the lights were off. The complainant refused contact and there was not a callback number to attempt contact with. I then made contact with the owner of the residence, Mr. Darren Patterson at 0943 hours. The original call came in at 0938 hours. I advised Mr. Patterson to make contact with me when he was able to meet to do a welfare check regarding his dogs at [100 BLOCK] Sonja Drive.
At 1308 hours, same date, we made contact with Mr. Patterson. Mr. Patterson advised that he has been staying at [100 BLOCK] Cheshire Drive after his wife passed away on January 2, 2026. Mr. Patterson and his daughter have been coming to [100 BLOCK] Sonja Drive to take care of the animals. Mr. Patterson did show us two of the dogs, a 14 year old male terrier mix and a younger chocolate lab. The terrier mix was missing a little bit of hair on it’s back but other than that both dogs were relatively healthy and did not show any cause to be concerned. Mr. Patterson did mention puppies and asked if he could sign them over due to them being taken in prior to his wife passing. I advised that we could not take in the puppies and the puppies were not brought up again. Mr. Patterson was very adimate about bringing the dogs out instead of letting us in the residence to look at all the animals.
Due to the previous call notes and the hesitancy of Mr. Patterson regarding the inside of his home and the remarks of him advising the house was “messy”, I asked for Warner Robins Code Enforcement to be enroute to our location. When Mr. Patterson put his dog back inside the residence and he would open the screen door, I noticed mountains of junk and scraps.
Shortly after, Code Enforcement Officer Clarence Wesley arrived on scene. Officer Wesley convinced Mr. Patterson to let him take photos but was only able to take photos of the carport as Mr. Patterson would not let him inside of the residence entirely. Mr. Patterson mentioned renting a dumpster and admitted that his wife was a hoarder multiple times but he claimed he did not realize it was out of control. I asked Officer Wesley to email me the photos he took of the carport and they will be attached to this report. Code Enforcement will also be doing their own investigation as well.
[End of Narrative]
The information below reflects all details available at the time of publication and was obtained directly from the official court database accessible to the public. Court records are subject to change at any time at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors, omissions, or discrepancies within the docket. No information provided should be construed as legal advice or opinion. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
1/23/26
WARRANT BOND AMOUNT SET
What this means: A judge in Houston County set Darren Lee Patterson’s bond amount at $2,180.00 for the warrant related to his cruelty to animal’s charges. This established how much money would need to be posted for Patterson’s release from custody.
1/23/26
WARRANT BOND AMOUNTS SET — 9 COUNTS AGAINST DARREN LEE PATTERSON
What this means: A judge set individual bond amounts for each of the nine charges Darren Lee Patterson was facing in Houston County. A bond is the amount of money required to be released from custody while the case moves through the courts. The nine separate bond amounts were set as follows: $580, $780, $980, $1,180, $1,380, $1,580, $1,780, $1,980, and $2,180 — one for each count.
2/18/26
SURETY BOND POSTED
What this means: A surety bond of $12,420.00 was posted for Darren Lee Patterson in Houston County case ST26000851. A surety bond is when a bail bond company pays the court to secure the defendant’s release from jail, with the understanding that Patterson will appear for all future court dates. The defendant or his family typically pays the bond company a percentage of the total bond amount.
2/18/26
SURETY BOND POSTED — DARREN LEE PATTERSON RELEASED FROM CUSTODY
What this means: A surety bond in the amount of $12,420 was posted on behalf of Darren Lee Patterson, satisfying the total bond requirement across all nine counts. A surety bond means a third party — typically a bail bondsman — guaranteed the full amount to the court. This allowed Darren Lee Patterson to be released from custody while his case continues.
3/9/26
ARRAIGNMENT SCHEDULED
What this means: The Houston County State Court scheduled an arraignment for Darren Lee Patterson on April 23, 2026, at 9:00 AM. An arraignment is the court appearance where a defendant is formally informed of the charges against them and enters an initial plea.
4/15/26
ACCUSATION FILED — 9 COUNTS OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AGAINST DARREN LEE PATTERSON
What this means: Houston County Solicitor General Ryan W. English, through Assistant Solicitor General Alasen L. Schell, filed a formal accusation charging Darren Lee Patterson with nine misdemeanor counts of Cruelty to Animals under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4(b) in the State Court of Houston County, case number 2026CR0117128. An accusation is the formal charging document used in State Court — it serves the same purpose as an indictment but does not require a grand jury.
All nine counts allege that on or about January 14, 2026, Darren Lee Patterson, as the owner of multiple animals, allegedly failed to provide adequate sanitary conditions consistent with what a reasonable person would consider normal care for each animal’s size, species, breed, age, and physical condition. Each count corresponds to a separate animal:
Count 1 — a chocolate lab Count 2 — a Yorkie Terrier Count 3 — a cat Count 4 — a ferret Count 5 — a black and tan female puppy Count 6 — a brown male puppy (#1) Count 7 — a brown male puppy (#2) Count 8 — a brown female puppy Count 9 — a black and tan male puppy
Darren Lee Patterson is presumed innocent of all charges. The case is assigned to Judge Jason Ashford.
4/17/26
DEFENSE ATTORNEY ENTERS APPEARANCE — ALLISON L. CARTWRIGHT
What this means: Attorney Allison L. Cartwright of Dozier Law Firm, LLC in Macon, Georgia formally entered her appearance as the attorney of record for Darren Lee Patterson in case number 2026CR0117128. This filing officially notifies the court and the prosecution — Solicitor General Ryan English — that Cartwright is representing the defendant going forward.
4/17/26
DEFENSE FILES DISCOVERY MOTIONS
What this means: Through attorney Allison L. Cartwright, Darren Lee Patterson filed three pretrial motions on the same day, all part of the discovery process — the phase where both sides exchange information before trial:
First, the defense filed a Notice of Intent to Proceed Under O.C.G.A. § 17-16-20, formally triggering Georgia’s criminal discovery rules, which require both sides to share certain evidence with each other.
Second, the defense filed a Demand for List of Witnesses, asking the prosecution to provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all witnesses it intends to call, so the defense can have the opportunity to interview them.
Third, the defense filed a Motion to Produce Defendant’s Statements and Scientific Reports, requesting that the prosecution turn over any statements Darren Lee Patterson allegedly made while in police custody — whether written or verbal — as well as any written scientific reports the prosecution plans to use at trial. The defense asked that all required materials be provided at least ten days before trial.
4/17/26
DARREN LEE PATTERSON ENTERS NOT GUILTY PLEA — WAIVES FORMAL ARRAIGNMENT
What this means: Through his attorney Allison L. Cartwright, Darren Lee Patterson waived his right to a formal arraignment hearing and entered a plea of Not Guilty to the cruelty to animals charges in case number 2026CR0117128. Waiving formal arraignment is common when a defendant has legal representation — it allows the case to move forward without requiring a separate court appearance just to enter the plea.
4/24/26
NOT GUILTY PLEA CONFIRMED — JURY TRIAL REQUESTED
What this means: The Houston County State Court’s docket reflects that Darren Lee Patterson’s not guilty plea was officially recorded on April 24, 2026, and that a jury trial was requested. This means the case will be decided by a jury of peers rather than by the judge alone.
4/24/26
DEFENSE ATTORNEY ALLISON L. CARTWRIGHT FORMALLY ASSIGNED
What this means: The court’s records were updated on April 24, 2026, to reflect that Allison L. Cartwright is the assigned defense attorney for Darren Lee Patterson in case number 2026CR0117128.
9/29/26
CALENDAR CALL SCHEDULED
What this means: A calendar call has been set for September 29, 2026, at 9:00 AM. A calendar call is a routine court appearance where the judge checks the status of the case and confirms whether it is ready to proceed to trial as scheduled.
11/9/26
JURY TRIAL SCHEDULED
What this means: A jury trial has been scheduled for November 9, 2026, at 9:00 AM in the State Court of Houston County. At this trial, the State of Georgia will present its case against Darren Lee Patterson on all nine counts of cruelty to animals. Darren Lee Patterson is presumed innocent unless and until the State proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt.