Jamal Thompson
ATLANTA -- WSB-TV Channel 2's Tom Jones discovered the man accused of killing a prominent cancer researcher received first offender status twice -- allowing him to avoid serious jail time.
Gwinnett County's district attorney is changing how his office prosecutes defendants because of the discovery.
Jamal "Shamal" Thompson is charged in the death of Dr. Eugenia "Jeanne" Calle in her midtown Atlanta condo.
After researching Thompson's criminal history over the last few days, Jones said it is an understatment to say he slipped through the cracks. Gwinnett County DA Danny Porter said he is making changes to make sure no defendant is afforded the same opportunity.
"I know that we don't as a matter of course run a criminal history again right before we dispose of the case," said Porter.
Porter said that is about to change and the death of Calle is why.
Thompson, 22, is accused of killing Calle in her midtown Atlanta condo.
Thompson may have been in jail for a long time if courts in different counties knew about his extensive criminal history. For instance, in 2007 Thompson was convicted on theft charges in Gwinnett County.
"At that time, he asked for and received from the judge first offender treatment which he was entitled to," said Porter.
That allowed Thompson to get five months probation.
Two years later, Thompson went before Judge Cynthia Becker in DeKalb County on burglary charges. He told her he had graduated from a local university, which isn't true.
Becker told Jones Thompson's education and lack of prior criminal history is why she gave him first offender status and downgraded his punishment to the two months he had already served.
Becker had no idea he'd already been given first offender status in Gwinnett County.
Porter said the problem is that criminal histories need to be checked not just when a defendant is arrested.
"Based on this conversation, we're going to institute a policy, at least in this office, that we're going to re-check criminal histories before we dispose of cases," Porter told Channel 2's Tom Jones.
Thompson also received probation on misdemeanor theft charges in Fulton County in 2007. He still faces theft and forgery charges there as well.
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