AUGUSTA, GEORGIA — Harold Doby III received a 45-year prison sentence in October 2023 after he failed to pay $155,000 in restitution within a one-year deadline. Judge Daniel J. Craig had set the deadline following a 2019 shooting at the Limelight Café in Augusta, Georgia.
In the winter of 2019, Doby, who was 28 years old, attended a workplace promotion celebration at the Limelight Café. An altercation occurred at the location while he was present, and individuals connected to this incident approached his vehicle as he departed the bar. Doby then discharged a legally owned firearm, which resulted in injuries to one of the individuals.
Doby surrendered to law enforcement two days after the shooting and was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. He entered an open plea under Georgia's First Offender Act, acting on his attorney's recommendation. Doby's three co-defendants in the case received sentences of up to 10 years of probation without restitution requirements.
In October 2022, Judge Craig sentenced Doby to 20 years of probation. The judge also ordered Doby to pay $155,000 in restitution, allocating $90,000 for the man who was shot and $65,000 for another victim involved in the altercation. He instructed Doby to pay the entire restitution amount within one year.
At the time of his initial sentencing, Doby stated, "I don't make that kind of money." Judge Craig responded, "Look around the courtroom and ask them for help." Doby subsequently requested to withdraw his guilty plea, stating he did not understand the terms he had agreed to. In November 2022, Doby was laid off from his chemical plant position after his medical leave expired. While unemployed, he made monthly restitution payments ranging from $10 to $100.
On October 12, 2023, court transcripts indicated the sentence comprised 20 years for each battery count and an additional five years for a firearm charge. Tim Curry, a representative for an advocacy organization, stated, "So much happens in small courtrooms where no one is watching. This is a problem everywhere."