Putnal v. Georgia
Annotate this CaseDustin Putnal was been indicted for one count each of malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated sexual battery and two counts each of felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the death of Ella Grayce Gail Pointer, a minor, on or about October 28 or 29, 2016. The State sought the death penalty. After the trial court issued an order denying Putnal’s motion to proceed ex parte and under seal with regard to his requests for defense-retained mental health experts to gain access to him in the detention center where he is incarcerated, Putnal obtained a certificate of immediate review from the trial court and filed an application for interlocutory appeal with the Georgia Supreme Court. The Supreme Court granted Putnal’s application in an order directing the parties to address: “Whether the trial court erred in denying Putnal’s motion to proceed ex parte and under seal with regard to matters pertaining to his expert mental health investigation.” The Court also directed that, in addressing this question, the parties discuss Zant v. Brantley, 411 SE2d 869 (1992), in which the Court previously held that the State was not entitled to be present at a hearing concerning the defendant’s request for an access order similar to the access orders involved in Putnal’s case. After review of that briefing, the Supreme Court concluded the issue presented in this case was controlled by Brantley. Therefore, the Court reversed the trial court order from which Putnal appealed, and remanded this case for further proceedings.
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.