May 31, 2018 Press Release

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office announces that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed a number of Jefferson County convictions.  On May 25, 2018, the Court released its decisions in the following cases:

Cadarius Deandre Owens – Owens was convicted of Manslaughter and Assault First Degree in the February 22, 2015 shooting death of Cedric Pierson and wounding of Cedric’s brother, Demetrius Pierson.  Testimony revealed that an argument took place over who should take care of Owens’ mother when she became ill.  Cedric Pierson was shot in the neck and died about a week later while Demetrius suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.  Owens was sentenced to 20 years in each case with the sentences to be served consecutively.

Horatio Omega Ferguson’s Trafficking in Heroin case was also affirmed.  Ferguson was convicted of selling trafficking amounts of heroin on multiple occasions.  Each of the transactions in July and August 2015 took place within three miles of Minor Elementary School.

Eric Lemont Higdon was convicted of two charges of Sodomy First Degree of a four year old little boy at a day care center.  Higdon was the son of the owner and would hang around the day care center. The two counts were based on the jury being convinced of Higdon’s use of force and the age of the victim. Higdon was sentenced to 23 years and his appeal was denied concerning an extended appeal.

“Each of these cases illustrate the efforts of the trial attorneys at the DA’s Office to protect our children, punish drug dealers and convict those who take innocent lives.  The Court has stated that each of these cases were tried correctly and that each of these defendants received a fair trial.  That is our goal,” said District Attorney Mike Anderton.  “The survivors and their families have received a degree of justice and satisfaction that the guilty parties were punished.”