Aaron Arrington convicted on aggravated assault, armed robbery charge for January crime

The Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Court just months ago saw stakeholders meet to talk about how to move forward with the process of returning back to jury trials as others in the area and state had already gotten the wheels of justice moving again following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and extended emergency orders from the state Supreme Court keeping courts operating at a much slower pace.

Now months later, those wheels are speeding back up as the first trial concluded earlier today in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room at the Polk County Police Department, and the jury returned a guilty verdict.

Aaron Arrington, 28, of a Rockmart address was arrested and charged in January 2020 of armed robbery and aggravated assault by Cedartown Police.

According to Assistant District Attorney Jaeson Smith, Arrington was convicted by the jury for going into the Gulf gas station on South Main Street in Cedartown and armed with a pistol went inside and demanded money from the register. During the incident, Arrington fired a shot over the head of the clerk on duty and then fled in his car from the scene.

A good samaritan happened upon Arrington fleeing the scene and followed him in his car from the gas station to an address on Akes Station Road.

Police arrived shortly after and took Arrington into custody, found him in the same clothing and wearing the same necklace he was seen in during the robbery, and also found the bag of money he took during the January 2020 incident.

This first jury trial was overseen by Senior Judge Walter J. Matthews from Floyd County, who is helping the court by allowing two courtrooms to operate concurrently during this two-week trial period for June in front of juries.

It marked one of the first jury trials to get underway in the Tallapoosa Circuit since the start of the pandemic and subsequent shutdowns that occurred in March 2020. Chief Justice Melton of the Georgia Supreme Court ordered that jury trials be suspended until earlier in the year, following a period where many counties across the state returned to Grand Jury work.

That second courtroom is located within the Polk County Police Department’s headquarters, its main purpose being the commissioners meeting room.

The county additionally have used the Cedartown Performing Arts Center for Jury Assembly in past weeks, a process the court hopes to continue as future jury summons continue to get back to regular work.

Check back for more on that story later this evening.