Victim describes alleged nude approach and attempted entry; defendant pleads not guilty in Simmons case

A woman who identified herself as the alleged victim in a case involving Jeremy Simmons told Clayton County State Court on July 8 that Simmons allegedly stripped naked in a public area, damaged her vehicle’s door latch and chased her as she drove away.

Simmons entered a not-guilty plea. Judge Tammy Long Hayward told the victim the matter is serious and warned that the defendant’s statements at today’s appearance could be used in future proceedings. The judge explained that, because Simmons has entered a plea and his case may proceed to trial, the victim will be subpoenaed and should be available to testify when required.

The state told the court it had a conflict and therefore could not provide victim-witness advocacy in the usual way; the court noted that conflict counsel would need to be appointed for the victim where appropriate. The victim asked the court to obtain security footage from the library that she said would show the incident. Prosecutors and defense counsel discussed scheduling; the prosecutor suggested a special setting on Aug. 11 if Simmons remains in custody so the case could be prioritized on the trial calendar.

Judge Hayward cautioned the victim that, if Simmons is released, his bond conditions would include a no-contact provision and that any contact by the victim should be preserved as evidence but not answered. The court ordered the usual case-processing steps: entry of plea, conflict counsel appointment for victim representation where required, and scheduling for a future trial or special setting if the defendant remains an active inmate.