Macon – The father of a mentally disabled Macon man was sentenced to 20 years, six of them in prison, on Wednesday after a judge found him guilty of neglect.
Casson Laquan Hall Sr., 42, was convicted of neglect to a disabled adult following a two-day bench trial in February and March. In a bench trial, a defendant waives his or her right to a jury trial and instead a judge hears arguments and evidence that ordinarily would be considered by a jury.
Prosecutor David Rhoden presented evidence during the trial showing Hall left his mentally disabled adult son to live in an apartment alone with no food, water, electricity or working restroom for approximately a month ending Jan. 7, 2015.
For several months in 2015, Hall also required his son to live in a shed behind his house without heat, air conditioning or bathroom facilities.
Hall was the recipient of his son’s disability checks and food stamp benefits, which amounted to at least $900 monthly.
Due to Hall’s past criminal convictions, he will not be eligible for parole. The judge additionally sentenced Hall to pay $7,000 restitution to his son.
Speaking after the sentencing, Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney David Cooke said, “Had Mr. Hall treated a dog the same way that he treated his son, it would be a crime of cruelty. But to forsake his sacred obligation to care for his own child is one the worst crimes imaginable. I hope the judge’s sentence gives him adequate time to reflect upon the depth of his failure as a parent, and as a member of our community.”
For more news from the District Attorney’s Office, follow on Twitter @DA_DavidCooke, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DADavidCooke and on Instagram at da_davidcooke.
Contact: Amy Leigh Womack
478-621-6179 (office)
478-319-2529 (cell)