Roscoe Allen pleads guilty, released from jail

Roscoe Allen has been released from jail after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and aggravated stalking charges stemming from two separate incidents – one in March of 2019 and the other in July of 2020. Allen had been incarcerated since his arrest on aggravated stalking charges in the 2020 incident.

The aggravated assault charge came after Allen allegedly pulled a gun on another individual on March 24, 2019, inside Time Out Sports Bar in Douglas. Allen was arrested and released following the incident. A grand jury indicted him on those charges in July 2019.

In February 2020, Superior Court Judge Kelly Brooks granted a temporary protective order against Allen that Mayor Tony Paulk had filed. The order prohibited Allen from being within 500 yards of Mayor Paulk for one year. However, during a meeting with citizens at the George Washington Carver Shopping Center in July of last year, Allen pulled up in a vehicle, stopped, and began yelling at Mayor Paulk. The incident was captured on video. Allen was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated stalking. He was denied bond and has remained in the Coffee County Jail since then.

Allen pled as a first offender on the aggravated assault charge. He entered an Alford plea on the aggravated stalking charge; with an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but does admit that the prosecution has enough evidence to convict if the case went to trial.

Judge Brooks heard the case and sentenced Allen to 10 years probation, the first six months of which will be spent under house arrest. Judge Brooks mandated other guidelines as well, including mental health counseling.

Mayor Paulk petitioned for the temporary protective order to be changed to a permanent protective order, which Judge Brooks granted. Now that Allen is free, he still cannot be within 500 yards of Mayor Paulk.