Mableton man sentenced to life in prison for rape, sexual assault of minor

By Larry Felton Johnson

James Westly, 41, of Mableton, was sentenced in Cobb County Superior Court to life in prison on one count of rape and three counts of child molestation.

The sentence was handed down by Judge Ann B. Harris.

(To learn more about Cobb County Superior Court, follow this link to a description at the bottom of the article)

A press release from the office of Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. describes the events leading to the arrest and conviction as follows:

In March 2023, the Cobb County Police Department's Special Victims Unit began investigating a report of rape and sexual assault of a child filed by the victim's mother. The victim, who was under the age of 16, reported being sexually assaulted multiple times by Westly between 2021 and 2022.

The victim disclosed to her mother that the defendant had touched various parts of her body and raped her. Westly denied that the victim was present at his home during the reported incidents; however, cell phone records obtained by Cobb County detectives confirmed the victim's location.

In 2003, Westly was convicted in Fulton County of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and sexual assault of a minor against relatives in Atlanta. He was convicted at trial and served 10 years in prison. These victims were allowed to testify at that trial and described similar abuse by the defendant.

“We are deeply inspired by the courage the victim showed in reporting her attacker. Her courage was instrumental in securing justice and ensuring that the attacker could no longer harm others,” Broady said.

Deputy Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Raynor prosecuted the case.

The defendant was represented by Marietta attorney Sylvia Goldman.

What is Cobb County Superior Court?

In Georgia, the Superior Court is one of three trial courts in each judicial circuit. The other two trial courts are the state courts and the probate courts.

If you watch TV series or movies about courts, you know the most important role of the court. In Georgia, a superior court is the court where a murder trial takes place.

It is therefore the Superior Court which conducts trials for crimes.

But it also handles a number of other types of cases.

The Georgia Superior Courts website describes the various functions as follows:

The Superior Courts of Georgia are courts of general jurisdiction that hear both civil and criminal actions. Superior Court judges preside over cases involving torts, contract disputes, premises liability, and various other actions. In addition, the Superior Court has exclusive equitable jurisdiction over all divorce cases, real property title cases, and felonies involving jury trials, including capital cases.

How are Superior Court judges chosen?

Superior Court judges are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections. If a judge resigns or retires, the governor will appoint a replacement to complete the judge's uncompleted term.

The requirements to run for a seat on the Superior Court are that the candidate be at least thirty years old, have been a Georgia citizen for at least three years, and have practiced law for at least seven years.

How can I find out about Superior Court judges before the election?

Judicial elections are among the most difficult for the public to study, but the Internet has made it easier.

For the Cobb County judicial election, there are a number of media outlets covering the courts and candidates, including here at the Cobb County Courier, the Marietta Daily Journal, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the East Cobb News.

To view judicial candidate biographies, you can also visit the candidates' campaign web pages. These biographies are, of course, written to put the candidate in the best light, but they are a good starting point for determining the candidate's education and professional background.

For a list of candidates, visit the Georgia Secretary of State's page for information on qualified candidates at

The Superior Court is considered a state office, so you must select “State” on the Office type drop-down menu, the general/special primary election under the Election menu and “Non-partisan” under the To party menu. Then under Desks Scroll through the drop-down menu until you find the Superior Court race you are looking for.