A 38-year-old Rome woman was arrested after allegedly banging on the windows of a Jim ’N Nick’s BBQ and trying to walk off with one of the restaurant’s benches, leaving nearby customers stunned along one of the city’s busiest commercial strips. Jessica Lynn Randle now faces charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction stemming from the disturbance outside the barbecue chain’s location on Shorter Avenue.
According to Coosa Valley News, officers found Randle acting in a disorderly manner at the restaurant and reported that she was seen banging on the windows before she was accused of grabbing a bench from the property and trying to walk away with it. Officers say Randle failed to comply with verbal commands and also failed to identify herself when confronted, according to the same report.
A Restaurant on Rome’s Busiest Corridor
The Jim ’N Nick’s BBQ involved sits at 36 Shorter Avenue NW, according to business records published by Birdeye. That stretch of Shorter Avenue functions as a major commercial thoroughfare in Rome, carrying between 24,800 and 35,000 vehicles a day per commercial listings on LoopNet, which helps explain why a loud outdoor disruption there would draw immediate attention from passersby and a swift police response.
Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, founded in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1985, now operates more than 60 slow-smoked barbecue restaurants across the Southeastern United States, according to corporate background previously reported by Hoodline.
A String of Recent Floyd County Encounters
The restaurant disturbance is not Randle’s only recent brush with Floyd County law enforcement. Just days before this arrest, on September 1, Randle was charged with theft by taking $1,500 in property from an Armuchee apartment, following an arrest for failure to appear in court, according to My K Country.
Earlier in the year, Floyd County Jail booking records cited by South 93.5 showed Randle was charged with criminal trespass at Garden Lakes Baptist Church in March after receiving a notice not to return, along with charges tied to bringing prescription medication contraband into the jail. In June, local crime reports indicated Randle was arrested in Rome after police found her trespassing while intoxicated at a local Honda dealership. Further back, in March 2020, Randle was jailed in Rome after allegedly threatening to cut a store clerk’s throat and making racist statements, according to reporting at the time.
What Georgia Law Says About the Charges
Under Georgia Code § 16-11-39, disorderly conduct is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, probation, or community service, according to legal analysis from FindLaw. Separately, Georgia Code § 16-10-24(a) defines misdemeanor obstruction as knowingly and willfully hindering or obstructing a law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of official duties without violence, carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, per legal analysis cited by Justia Law.
Misdemeanor charges in Floyd County are typically prosecuted through the Solicitor-General or District Attorney’s office, where judges weigh a defendant’s prior criminal history when handing down final sentences, according to legal background previously reported by Hoodline. Given Randle’s documented history of trespassing and disturbance allegations across Rome, that prior record could factor into how her latest case is ultimately resolved. Randle is presumed innocent of all pending charges unless and until proven guilty in court.
