A Taylor County judge signaled Monday that he may throw out the conviction of a former Butler teacher and order a new trial in the 2017 shooting death of her husband, a move that would reopen one of the county’s most closely watched cases. Constance Dean, convicted in April 2024, has argued that the original proceeding was flawed. The judge said he would issue a written ruling within 30 days, and that decision will determine whether the guilty verdict stands or the case starts over in front of a new jury.
At a hearing in Butler, Dean's new attorney, Mekka Crawford-Franklin, urged the court to set aside the verdict, arguing that problems with jury selection, the performance of trial counsel and disputed forensic interpretation deprived Dean of a fair trial, as reported by 13WMAZ. The judge told lawyers he would issue a written order within roughly 30 days on whether to vacate the sentence and grant a new trial, according to the same reporting.
How the original investigation unfolded
Investigators say deputies were called to the couple’s home in Butler on Sept. 12, 2017, where they found Frederick Dean at the bottom of a staircase while his wife tried to render aid. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation later treated the death as a homicide, and agents arrested Constance Dean on Oct. 6, 2017, as reported by WTVM.
Court scheduling records list the case as 19-CR-061 and show a sentencing and conviction entry in April 2024, with defense counsel recorded on the docket. Those details appear in Taylor County court records. Taylor County court records list the same case number and an April 18, 2024 sentencing entry.
Defense: forensic questions and juror concerns
Defense experts at Monday’s hearing argued that limited gunshot residue on Dean’s hands was consistent with her performing CPR and that there was no fingerprint evidence tying her to the firearm, according to 13WMAZ. Crawford-Franklin also told the judge a juror may have been tainted by personal relationships with emergency responders and raised a Batson challenge, arguing that no racial minorities ultimately served on the jury during the first trial.
Legal context: What a Batson challenge means
A Batson challenge alleges that peremptory strikes during jury selection were used to exclude jurors based on race. When a defendant makes a prima facie showing, the government must provide a race-neutral explanation, and the judge then decides whether purposeful discrimination occurred. The U.S. Courts summarize Batson’s three-step framework and note that successful Batson claims can lead to reversal or a new trial. U.S. Courts provides the framework judges apply when a Batson claim is raised.
State pushes back
Prosecutors at the hearing countered that Frederick Dean’s wounds were inconsistent with suicide and argued that gunshot residue on Constance Dean’s hands showed she either fired the weapon or was very close when it was fired. State attorneys also emphasized the medical examiner’s findings and the investigative work that led to homicide charges after the 2017 probe, points reflected in earlier reporting and the original arrest materials.
What happens next
With a written order expected in the coming weeks, the judge’s ruling will either leave the conviction in place or send the case back for a new trial. If a new trial is ordered, the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit and the district attorney would decide whether to retry the case. For now, Dean remains under sentence while lawyers on both sides weigh possible next steps, including appeals or additional motions depending on the judge’s written findings.
