Julius Scott Dorsey, a 55-year-old Cleveland man indicted in 2024, is set to appear in Franklin County Superior Court on Tuesday to face felony murder and drug distribution charges tied to a 2023 death. Prosecutors allege Dorsey supplied methamphetamine to 40-year-old Lisa Milligan on May 8, 2023, and that she died after that purchase. Dorsey was taken into custody in Cleveland in late May after a brief standoff at a Hood Street home and later extradited to Franklin County.
Brief standoff ended without violence, chief says
Dorsey was arrested on May 26 after officers following up on an unrelated assault case found him hiding in a rear bedroom of a Hood Street residence, Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker said. Police cleared other people out of the house and called in the White County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team along with nearby agencies. According to Shoemaker, Dorsey then walked out of the home unarmed and surrendered. He told Now Georgia, “We are pleased to have brought the suspect into custody without incident.”
Indictment says meth linked to victim's death
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Dorsey in 2024 on one count of felony murder and one count of distribution of methamphetamine, according to WNEG. The indictment accuses him of selling Milligan less than two grams of methamphetamine on May 8, 2023, and alleges she died after using the drug. WNEG also reported that Dorsey has an extensive criminal record and was arrested on a probation violation in November 2023.
How felony murder works in Georgia
Under Georgia law, prosecutors may seek a felony murder conviction when someone’s felonious conduct proximately causes another person’s death, even if the state does not prove express malice, according to Georgia Code § 16-5-1. That standard allows murder charges to be filed when an alleged underlying felony, including certain drug crimes, is claimed to have led to a death. A felony murder conviction carries severe penalties, including the possibility of life in prison.
What comes next
Dorsey is scheduled to appear in Franklin County Superior Court on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, according to local reporting, and remains in custody pending that hearing. As reported by 92.1 WLHR, authorities extradited him to Franklin County after his May arrest in Cleveland. Court filings in the case are handled by the Clerk of Superior Court in Carnesville, which lists the courthouse address as 9592 Lavonia Road. The Franklin County Clerk of Superior Court provides contact details and filing information for the public.
