WINDER — A Barrow County jury has acquitted a man of reckless conduct in the 2007 death of an 18-year-old after a post-prom party.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that a jury on Thursday found 22-year-old Anthony Perry not guilty. The misdemeanor charge stemmed from accusations that Perry told people at the party not to call 911 when Leland Martin passed out.

Friends have said Martin wasn't a regular drinker. Authorities say he died of suffocation after drinking alcohol and passing out during the party.

Perry's stepmother pleaded guilty in August to misdemeanor charges of allowing the party in her house. She got 30 days in jail, had to pay a $4,000 fine and was put on probation for four years.

Martin's parents have also filed civil lawsuits against Perry and Michael.

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Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com

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Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

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