Gloria Faith Dupree, 23, was sentenced to two years in prison for causing the death of motorcyclist Matthew Dyas in October 2011 by driving under the influence and failing to yield the right of way.
But in a condition which former Assistant District Attorney David Taylor described as atypical, she was allowed to serve time at the Carroll County jail only during school breaks lasting three consecutive days or longer. Dupree teaches at a school near Savannah.
Dupree was released from Carroll County jail on July 9 on good behavior, 14 days before her summer jail term was supposed to end.
Dupree will be back in court Tuesday with her lawyer, Powder Springs-based attorney Anthony Hallmark, to hear from Judge Dennis Blackmon on a motion from the district attorney’s office requesting that she spend the 14 days she missed in jail sometime during her four-year probation.
Assistant District Attorney John Cunningham said the sheriff’s office let Dupree go early, but that the office wasn’t to blame because it was such an unusual arrangement.
“They were unaware of that part of our agreement,” Cunningham said. “It’s not a standard situation, so they released her early on good behavior. As soon as we heard about that, [Taylor] filed a motion to have her serve those 14 days she didn’t serve. That’s what we’ll be hearing in court Tuesday.”
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Kevin Johnson, an assistant director of the jail, said Dupree was part of the in-facility work program and had not received any disciplinary reports, allowing her to be released on good behavior. Dupree worked in the sheriff’s office, inputting data into a computer.
“If they’re in a work program and they haven’t gotten any disciplinary reports, which can range from talking back to an officer or getting in fights, we release them on good time,” Johnson said. “As long as they follow the rules, they get released on good behavior.”
Dupree was arrested in October 2011 after her vehicle struck a motorcycle while driving to the University of West Georgia’s homecoming game. Matthew Dyas, 20, was the driver of the motorcycle and died at the scene. He was a member of UWG’s men’s golf team.
The collision occurred near the entrance to the UWG stadium.
Dupree, driving a 2006 Nissan Maxima, made a left turn from the westbound lane of Lovvorn Road and into the path of Dyas’ motorcycle, which struck the car’s passenger side, according to the state patrol at the time of the accident.
Dupree was charged with five counts: homicide by vehicle in the second degree, reckless driving, driving under the influence, failure to yield right of way and following too closely.
Dupree, a UWG graduate, was on her way to the homecoming game after attending a party at her former sorority house that morning. She was joined in the car by several of her former sorority sisters and friends. She told officers at the time of the accident that she had a few champagne drinks before driving, but she passed two of the three field sobriety evaluations and her blood test came back under the legal driving limit.
Dupree was sentenced to four years of probation after her two years of jail time have expired. Her time in jail was required only when the school at which she teaches had breaks of three consecutive days or longer. That included summer break, fall break, winter break, spring break and any other breaks. Dupree did not have to go to jail if she had just Friday or Monday off, as well as the weekend.

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