DeAndre Pickett, a member of Georgia's advisory committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, resigned after being charged in a fatal hit-and-run. In August 2024, he was charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident in connection to the death of Joseph Banks III. The incident gained public attention after the victim’s family began asking questions.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Pickett posted a $50,000 bond after being charged but continued serving on the commission. This only came to light after the victim’s sister, Latoya Banks, searched his name online and discovered the charges. “He hit a human being and did not stop,” Banks said, explaining that her brother was killed while crossing the street.
Latoya Banks began looking into the case herself and discovered that Pickett had been reappointed to the committee in March despite facing criminal charges. The commission, made up of eight members appointed by the President and Congress, is meant to protect civil rights—something Banks found troubling given the charges against Pickett.
Pickett resigned after Latoya Banks reached out to the government agency in April seeking answers. In her statement, Banks said in a statement obtained by Independent, "You're fighting for civil rights or you're empowering the youth. You're a mentor, you know, all of these great things, to the public or on paper or whatever. But he killed a human being." Pickett’s attorney did not comment directly on the case but expressed condolences, stating, "We extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Joseph Banks," and that Pickett is filled with profound remorse and sorrow.
