Georgia v. Abernathy
Annotate this CaseSamuel Abernathy and John Geren went to a bar to play pool. Abernathy, who had been drinking several hours, had previously been banned from the premises, and shortly after they arrived, the bartender told them to leave. While Abernathy was arguing with her, Darren Ramey and his friend, Luther Mize, approached and reiterated the bartender's order that Abernathy and Geren leave. Geren turned to go, urging Abernathy to go with him, but Abernathy suggested to Ramey and Mize that they "take this out in the parking lot." As Ramey followed Abernathy outside, Abernathy turned around, withdrew a knife from his pocket, and stabbed Ramey in the chest. Abernathy and Geren then ran to their truck and sped off but were apprehended a short time later. Ramey later died from his wound. When arrested shortly after, Abernathy said he'd been jumped by Ramey and had stabbed him in self-defense. Both Abernathy and Geren were charged with murder, although the State eventually dropped charges against Geren who testified for the State against Abernathy. Following a jury trial Abernathy was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to life in prison. He filed a Motion for New Trial and in April 2010, added an "Extraordinary Motion" for New Trial, alleging he had discovered new evidence since his conviction. The trial court granted his motion for new trial on the sole ground that his public defender had a conflict of interest in representing him because the person arrested with him and who testified against him, Geren, was represented by the same public defender's office. In 2011, however, the Supreme Court of Georgia reversed the decision granting Abernathy a new trial. On remand, the trial court granted Abernathy's Extraordinary Motion. The State appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to authorize extraordinary relief. The Supreme Court agreed and reversed the order for a new trial.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.