Gainesville man sentenced to 10 years in prison as Habitual Offender; jury found him guilty of felony battery and theft

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Percival Larone Williams, 53, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of felony battery and theft of a cell phone.

Williams was arrested on November 13, 2022, on a warrant that was issued following an incident on April 22, 2022. Williams was accused of hitting a woman, causing injuries to her teeth and lips, and taking her phone. According to court documents, he had a previous history of offenses against the same victim; he had 12 felony convictions (three violent) and 21 misdemeanor convictions (four violent) and had served six state prison sentences. Judge Walter Green set his bail at $95,000.

Williams made repeated motions to reduce his bond, but they were all denied; he also sent frequent letters to Judge William Davis, alleging that various rights had been violated. He filed numerous “pro se” (filed by a defendant representing himself) motions, which were stricken as unauthorized since he was represented by a public defender.

In September 2023, Assistant State Attorney Omar Hechavarria filed a notice that the State Attorney’s Office would seek enhanced penalties connected with “habitual felony offender status,” should Williams be convicted of the charges.

In October 2023, Williams was found competent to stand trial after a psychological evaluation.

In November 2023, a jury found Williams guilty of felony battery, a lesser included charge to the original charge of aggravated battery; battery, a lesser included charge to the original charge of domestic battery by strangulation; and theft. Williams has appealed the verdict.

In January 2024, Judge William Davis vacated the conviction on the battery charge, agreeing with Williams’ attorney that double jeopardy prevented convictions on two battery charges for a single incident.

On February 5, after the victim provided a victim impact statement and a presentence investigation was conducted, Judge Davis sentenced Williams to 10 years in prison on the felony battery charge as a Habitual Felony Offender; the sentence for the theft charge was 60 days, with credit for 60 days served.