Not Guilty Verdict in Local High School Rape Trial

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – “We the jury find the defendant Romalace Williams not guilty.”

After five hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 found Romalace Williams not guilty of rape. The rape charges stemmed from an incident that allegedly happened at Brainerd High School when Williams was 17 and the accuser was 14 in 2018.

“I’ve been practicing law for over 40 years and I’ve never been so emotionally tied up with a client as this case,” says Charles Wright, attorney to Williams.

The trial had testimony from both Williams and the accuser. The prosecutors claimed Williams lied multiple times throughout the investigation but ultimately, the jury found Williams innocent of charges that his mother told News 12 could have locked him up for eight years.

“This young man, he was expelled from school. He hopes to go back to high school and get a high school degree. He’s a smart kid, a good kid,” says Wright.

Williams is expecting a child in March.

“I’ve counseled with him and I told him quite some time back, you determine your life in the long run no matter what happens here, you can live it down and you can get it behind you. What you make of your life is what you make of it,” says Wright.