Thornton v. Georgia
Annotate this CaseAppellant Patti Thornton was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, making false statements, and tampering with evidence; her co-defendant, Walter Booth, was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and making false statements. A jury found appellant not guilty of murder but guilty of the remaining charges, and the same jury acquitted Booth of murder and conspiracy to commit murder but found him guilty of making false statements. On appeal, the Court of Appeals affirmed appellant’s convictions, relying on cases abolishing the "inconsistent verdict rule." The Georgia Supreme Court granted appellant’s petition for certiorari, arguing primarily that the Court of Appeals erred when it affirmed appellant’s conviction for conspiracy to murder although her sole co-conspirator was acquitted of conspiracy to murder by the jury before which they were jointly tried. The Supreme Court found no reversible error and affirmed the Court of Appeals.
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