GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — A Gwinnett County mother charged with second-degree murder in the hot car death of her young son was allowed by a judge to attend his funeral on Saturday.
Prosecutors previously filed an emergency motion Thursday asking a judge to allow Deja Coleman to travel to Atlanta for her son Daniel’s funeral.
According to officials, Coleman will remain in the custody of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office during the funeral services.
Coleman’s attorneys were previously pushing for her to attend the funeral but say they do not want her shackled or wearing a prison jumpsuit. Her defense attorney Tom Ford says this was arranged with the help of prosecutor’s and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
“These are all good people with good hearts,” Ford said. “They have different interests, but the collective legal minds in that room and a fair and just decision was reached and I’m very appreciative.”
Coleman is charged with second-degree murder after police say she forgot to drop her son off at daycare and left him inside a vehicle for hours while she was at work at Northside Hospital in Lawrenceville.
Police say the interior of the vehicle was 117 degrees an hour after officers broke a window to get inside.
Coleman’s defense says the single mother of three was distracted and sleep-deprived when she left her son in the vehicle.
Defense attorney Tom Ford previously called for Coleman to be released from jail on bond.
“She’s shocked! She’s wanting to grieve for her son, she’s devastated, she’s been around inmates. She’s been in a loud facility with noise and bad food, and hard beds that’s uncomfortable,” Ford said.
Ford initially pushed for a bond hearing to take place before Saturday’s funeral. Court records now show that a hearing is scheduled for early next month.
Ford has also said he believes the second-degree murder charge should be dropped.
“But what you don’t do is throw a grieving mother behind a razor wire, charge her murder so she won’t get a bond, you don’t do that. This is not what we do in this county anymore. We’re doing it now, but it’s going to change,” Ford said.
Coleman could face a minimum of 10 years in prison if she is found guilty of second-degree murder.
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.