Supreme Court of Georgia Decisions 2021
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1079
Justia Opinion Summary: Lee Hines was convicted by jury of malice murder and felony murder in connection with the 2003 stabbing death of Lacharity Gaines. Hines’s sole contention on appeal was that the trial court erred when it allowed the…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1092
Justia Opinion Summary: Daniel Taylor was convicted by jury of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of his father, Richard. The trial court denied Taylor’s motion for…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1119
Justia Opinion Summary: Corey Myers was convicted by jury of felony murder and related charges in the shooting death of Emanuel “Seymour” Jones and of burglary and trespass in a separate incident. On appeal, Myers contended that “[t]he verdict…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1123
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Maureen Floyd sought permission to file an information in the nature of quo warranto against appellee Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, with the goal of having him removed from…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1188
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Larry Bates was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of his neighbor, Paul Wilson, and Wilson’s dog. Appellant began accusing his across-the-street neighbors, Paul…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21G0015, S21G0008
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari review to consider whether the Court of Appeals erred in reversing a trial court’s order confirming an arbitration award against Interstate National Dealer Services, Inc.…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21G0029
Justia Opinion Summary: In February 2018, Plaintiff filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and a putative class of similarly situated persons against Defendants RCC Wesley Chapel Crossing, LLC, Little Giant Farmers Market Corporation, Dollar Tree…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21G0459
Justia Opinion Summary: Georgia law generally required a person to apply for and receive a valid weapons carry license from a probate judge before carrying a handgun or other weapon in public. The General Assembly identified specific categories…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S21G0485
Justia Opinion Summary: Victor Grullon was convicted by jury of trafficking heroin, and a trial court sentenced him to serve 30 years in prison. Grullon appealed, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, arguing that the trial court gave an…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S22A0059
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Chandler Saxton was convicted of malice murder and a firearm offense in connection with the 2014 shooting death of John Jones. In his sole enumeration of error, he contended the trial court erred by allowing…
Date: December 13, 2021
Docket Number: S22A0144
Justia Opinion Summary: Erin McAlister appealed trial court orders awarding Wendi Clifton, McAlister’s former domestic partner, visitation rights to McAlister’s adopted daughter, Catherine, pursuant to the equitable caregiver statute, OCGA…
Date: November 23, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1536
Justia Opinion Summary: Gai Spann filed suit against Rashida Davis and Kyra Dixon, administrators of the City of Atlanta Municipal Court (“the Clerks”), alleging that she was wrongfully arrested and detained as a result of the Clerks’ failure…
Date: November 23, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0957
Justia Opinion Summary: The State appealed the grant of habeas relief to Aaron Houston, who pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor DUI counts. The habeas court vacated the convictions entered on those pleas on grounds that the pleas were tendered…
Date: November 23, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0989
Justia Opinion Summary: Tevision Troy appealed his convictions for the 2016 murder of Tony Saffo and a firearm offense. Troy argued only that the trial court erred in admitting evidence that he committed an aggravated assault in 1998 with the…
Date: November 23, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1098
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Andrew Murray was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of Paul Sampleton, Jr. Over the course of his motion-for-new-trial proceedings, Murray was appointed three…
Date: November 23, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1198
Justia Opinion Summary: Jammie Rashad Davis appealed his convictions for murder and other crimes stemming from the 2018 shooting death of Latravius Burks. Davis argued: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions because…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0718, S21X0719
Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose from Rockdale County, Georgia's denial of an application for a permit to build a QuikTrip on property owned by William Corey and U.S. Enterprises, Inc. (the “Owners”), on the ground that the proposed…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0767
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Lil’Che Stafford was found guilty by jury of felony murder and first-degree burglary in connection with the death of Jose Greer. On appeal, Appellant argued: (1) evidence of an earlier burglary and armed…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0771
Justia Opinion Summary: Jabarri Ash was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes arising from the shooting death of Mario Shaw. On appeal, Ash argued the trial court erred by admitting evidence of his prior convictions pursuant to…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0840
Justia Opinion Summary: Rebecca Schoicket was granted an out-of-time appeal to appeal the judgment of conviction entered on her guilty plea. In addition to challenging her sentence on one count, she argued the out-of-time appeal she was granted…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1152
Justia Opinion Summary: Miguel Angel Garcia-Martinez was convicted of malice murder, four counts of aggravated assault, and four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the 2018 shooting death of…
Date: November 2, 2021
Docket Number: S21G0429
Justia Opinion Summary: Harold George was convicted by jury of two counts of child molestation and related offenses. He appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals, which affirmed his convictions in an unpublished opinion. In addressing one of…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1339
Justia Opinion Summary: When this case was before the Court of Appeals, the State argued that Kemar Henry failed to make a request for additional, independent chemical testing pursuant to OCGA 40-6-392(a)(3). The Court of Appeals stated that a…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1471
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari in this case to decide whether a trial court’s order dismissing a criminal case for want of prosecution, which did not say that it was with prejudice to refiling, nevertheless…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1473
Justia Opinion Summary: B. Reid Zeh filed a lawsuit alleging that the American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. (“ACLU”) had published a post on its blog containing defamatory statements asserting that Zeh, who was the public defender for…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0788
Justia Opinion Summary: Shawncy Barrett was convicted by jury of the 2016 felony murder of Terrence Baker. On appeal, Barrett argued: (1) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient as a matter of due process to support his conviction; (2)…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0813
Justia Opinion Summary: Grady Harper, Jr., was tried by jury and convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2018 shooting death of John Allen. On appeal, Harper contended the trial court erred when it failed to instruct…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0990
Justia Opinion Summary: Alexander DeVanna was convicted of malice murder and other crimes related to the 2017 shooting death of his wife, Casey DeVanna. DeVanna appealed, contending his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1014
Justia Opinion Summary: Steven Jones appealed his convictions for malice murder, aggravated assault, and other offenses arising in connection with the death of Quincey Denton and the assault of Kenneth Studivant. On appeal, Jones argued the…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1245
Justia Opinion Summary: Keontay Miller appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes arising out of the shooting death of Tellis Fort. Miller contended the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient as a matter of…
Date: October 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21G0226
Justia Opinion Summary: The State challenged the suspension of part of Antwon Stanford’s recidivist burglary sentence. The trial court and the Court of Appeals concluded that the suspension was authorized by OCGA 17-10-7 (a), part of the…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1410
Justia Opinion Summary: Cathy Mixon sued the Georgia Department of Transportation (“GDOT,” or “the State”), claiming nuisance and inverse condemnation based on alleged flooding on her property following a road-widening project. Mixon claimed…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0532
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal arose from the grant of a petition for habeas corpus filed by Steven Bryant in connection with his 2015 conviction for aggravated sexual battery. In granting Bryant’s petition, the habeas court ruled that…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0627, S21A0628, S21A0629
Justia Opinion Summary: Jalin Collins, Percy Burdine, and Brandon Love were tried together and convicted of murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Milton Kelley. Although they raised different contentions on appeal,…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0712
Justia Opinion Summary: Dabrentise Overstreet was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Craigory Burch, Jr., the aggravated assault and armed robbery of Burch’s girlfriend, Jasmine…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0753
Justia Opinion Summary: Jimmy Parrott was convicted for, among other things, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in violation of OCGA 40-6-395(b)(5). After his initial probationary sentence for that offense was deemed void, he was…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0774
Justia Opinion Summary: LeMichael Tyson was convicted by jury of felony murder and cruelty to children in connection with the beating death of his girlfriend’s 22-month-old daughter, Kei’Mariona Bradley. The medical examiner concluded that…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0953
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Antonio Harris challenged his 2011 convictions for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Marcus Simpson and the non-fatal shootings of Kingston Ridley and Kenneth Williams.…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0970
Justia Opinion Summary: Jerome Hughs was convicted by jury of felony murder in connection with the death of Kaidence Alexander, an 18-month old child. Hughs claimed the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient to support his conviction,…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1002
Justia Opinion Summary: Dustin Steen was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the 2015 stabbing death of Edward Newhouse in an altercation outside a bar. The trial court…
Date: October 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1029
Justia Opinion Summary: Tyra Lane was convicted by jury of felony murder and related offenses in connection with crimes he committed against Danielle Simpson and Austin Young. Lane appealed, alleging that the trial court erred by allowing…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1292
Justia Opinion Summary: Minnie Fountain, as guardian for her adult nephew, Leroy Wiggins, filed claims against Wiggins’s skilled nursing facility and its management: CL SNF, LLC d/b/a Clinch Healthcare Center (“CHC”); RWC Healthcare, LLC; PWW…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1368
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari to reconsider one of its holdings in Allstate Insurance Co. v. Klein, 422 SE2d 863 (1992). In Klein, the Court held that Georgia courts could exercise general personal…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1518
Justia Opinion Summary: After Sally Madison Roberts was involved in a car accident with a vehicle owned by Unison Behavioral Health (a Georgia community service board), she filed suit against Unison. As required by the Georgia Tort Claims Act…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0638
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gerrod Crawford was convicted of felony murder and other crimes related to the 2015 shooting death of Antonio McBride. On appeal, he contended the trial court should have granted his motion for a directed…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0739
Justia Opinion Summary: Tonya Tidwell was convicted by jury of malice murder and aggravated battery in connection with the death of David Guice. On appeal, Tidwell claimed the trial court erred by failing to charge the jury on mutual combat and…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0740
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found Mustafa Mahdi guilty but mentally ill of the 2014 malice murder of John Quincy III and guilty of possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. Appealing pro se appeal, Mahdi broadly claimed the…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0761
Justia Opinion Summary: Darius Dunn appealed his convictions for malice murder and other charges in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Anthony Tavarez. Dunn claimed on appeal that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support his…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0807
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Raphael Johnson was convicted of the 2013 malice murder of Frederick Burke, the 2013 felony murder of James Cornelius, and other crimes in connection with a shooting incident at a “gambling house,” and the…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0829
Justia Opinion Summary: Brantley Washington and his co-defendants, Chrishon Siders and Haleem Graham, were convicted of malice murder, first degree burglary, and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Seine Jackson.…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0845
Justia Opinion Summary: Daniel Anglin appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Chad Ruark. Anglin argued the trial evidence was insufficient to support his convictions; the trial…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1103
Justia Opinion Summary: Nashea Poole was convicted by jury of felony murder and related offenses in connection with crimes committed against Jordan and Chad Collins. The Collins brothers were at their sister's home where they were visited by…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1131
Justia Opinion Summary: Warren Schmitz contested the results of the November 3, 2020, election to fill the seat for Georgia House of Representatives District 52. The certified election results showed that 17,069 votes were cast for Shea…
Date: September 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1146
Justia Opinion Summary: Austin McIntyre was convicted of felony murder and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the shooting death of Willie Thomas. Appellant claimed on appeal: (1) the evidence presented at his trial was…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0686
Justia Opinion Summary: Nathaniel Baker was convicted by jury of felony murder and other offenses in connection with crimes committed against Craigory Burch, Jr., Jasmine Hendricks, and C.B., a minor child. On appeal, Baker argued the evidence…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0706
Justia Opinion Summary: Bryant Willerson was convicted of murder in connection with the 2011 beating death of William McClain. On appeal, Willerson contended the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient to find him guilty beyond a…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0773
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted Corey Nelson's application for interlocutory appeal of a trial court's denial of his motion to suppress evidence. At issue was evidence extracted from his cell phone and other electronic…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0787
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brian Lewis was convicted by jury of malice murder and concealing the death of another in connection with the beating death of Ronald Redding. Appellant argued: the evidence presented at his trial was…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0811
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Carl Logan challenged his 2017 convictions for malice murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the 2012 stabbing and beating death of Anthony Olivet. Appellant’s sole…
Date: September 8, 2021
Docket Number: S21A1171
Justia Opinion Summary: Leon Williams was convicted by jury of malice murder, terroristic threats, and three counts of cruelty to children in connection with the drowning death of his ten-year-old autistic and special needs son, Kentae.…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1430
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari in this case to decide whether the Court of Appeals erred in holding that a video recording presumed to have no discernible audio, which depicted a now-deceased confidential…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0568
Justia Opinion Summary: Charles Cook was tried by jury and convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Salanto Winfrey. On appeal, Cook contended the trial court erred when it precluded him from…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0587
Justia Opinion Summary: Stacey Sims appealed the dismissal of his out-of-time motion to withdraw a guilty plea. Sims was indicted on a 36-count grand jury indictment that included numerous charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0591
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Bobby Smith ran against Teresa Odum for the office of Probate Judge of Long County, Georgia on June 9, 2020. Following Odum’s victory, Smith filed a petition to contest the Election results, alleging there…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0817
Justia Opinion Summary: Keilan Orr was convicted by jury of felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of Lamario Majors. On appeal, Orr argued the evidence presented at…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0862
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, Alexander Woods III was convicted by jury of five counts of malice murder and given five consecutive life sentences in connection with the 2004 shooting deaths of four members of the Resendez family and their…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0874
Justia Opinion Summary: Dion Sims appealed after a jury convicted him of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2001 shooting death of Alan Watson. On appeal, Sims argued: (1) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0965
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Quintavious Walker was convicted of the murder of Jaquille Thomas and Angelique Bowman. In his one issue raised on appeal, he contended the trial court erred by admitting into evidence at his trial…
Date: August 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21C0167
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted pro se petitioner Jason Mobuary’s petition for certiorari review. In 2003, petitioner pled guilty to enticing a child for indecent purposes. In 2018, he moved the trial court for an…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1419
Justia Opinion Summary: The version of the apportionment statute at issue in this appeal, OCGA 51-12-33, was enacted as part of the Tort Reform Act of 2005. Subsection (b) required damages to be apportioned “among the persons who are liable…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0504
Justia Opinion Summary: Santiago Williams appealed his convictions for the murders of Andrew Coleman and Martial “Montrell” Washington. His sole contention on appeal was that he was entitled to a new trial because the State’s key witness’s…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0574
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Thomas Tiraboschi was convicted of malice murder in connection with the strangulation death of his cellmate, Chris Lowery, at the Augusta State Medical Prison. Appellant’s only claim on appeal was that the…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0623
Justia Opinion Summary: Lenny Ozzylee Moss was found guilty at a bench trial of the malice murder of Tyisha Davis and for other offenses. Following the denial of his motion for new trial, Moss appealed, arguing that the Georgia Supreme Court…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0640, S21X0641
Justia Opinion Summary: After Stephan Owens was convicted of felony murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of Richard Osadebe Egoegonwa, he was granted a new trial on the felony murder charge. The State appealed, and Owens…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0709
Justia Opinion Summary: William Thornton appealed his convictions for malice murder, armed robbery, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony in connection with the 2017 stabbing death of Jullisa Cooke. Thornton argued: (1)…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0779
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Hezekiah Walker was convicted of felony murder and other offenses in connection with the May 2018 shooting death of Samuel Davis, IV. On appeal, Walker contended: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0780
Justia Opinion Summary: Robert Ellis was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Jeremy Little. Ellis contended on appeal of his convictions that the trial court erred by admitting…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0790
Justia Opinion Summary: Brandon Terry-Hall, who pleaded guilty to felony murder and other offenses, appealed the denial of his motion for an out-of-time appeal. Terry-Hall: (1) argued counsel was ineffective for failing to appeal or move to…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0854
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Darcy Thompson was convicted of felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Tyrone Cochran. On appeal, Appellant’s sole enumeration of error was that the trial court erred by denying his request to…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0865
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Lamontez Hinton was convicted of malice murder and other crimes related to the 2014 shooting death of Kilon Williams and the armed robbery of Williams’s friend Nicholas Gibson. Appellant contended the evidence…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0871
Justia Opinion Summary: Holly Harvey entered a negotiated guilty plea to two counts of malice murder for the killing of her grandparents, Carl and Sarah Collier. While serving consecutive life sentences, Harvey sought to challenge that plea…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0877
Justia Opinion Summary: Nathaniel Vivian appealed his convictions for felony murder and related crimes in connection with the 2014 shooting death of Daniel Zeitz. Vivian contended on appeal that the trial court erred in failing to advise him of…
Date: August 10, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0997
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brandon Townsend was convicted of two counts of malice murder in connection with the deaths of Krystal Spainhour and Judy Potts. He appealed, arguing only that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance…
Date: July 7, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0730
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Re’Dayon Hughes challenged his 2019 convictions for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Dre’Landon Brown. Appellant contended: (1) the trial court erred by admitting evidence…
Date: June 24, 2021
Docket Number: S21P0078
Justia Opinion Summary: Rodney Young was convicted by jury for the murder of Gary Jones. The jury declined in its guilt/innocence phase verdict to find him “mentally retarded.” At the conclusion of the sentencing phase, the jury found multiple…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G0651
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael and Katherine Gatto filed suit against the City of Statesboro and City Clerk Sue Starling, alleging negligence and maintenance of a nuisance, after their son, Michael, died following an altercation at a bar in…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1001
Justia Opinion Summary: Jereno Kinslow's felony conviction for computer trespass was premised on evidence that Kinslow altered his employer’s computer network settings so that e-mail messages meant for Kinslow’s boss would also be copied and…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1214
Justia Opinion Summary: Manuel Hernandez was shot and seriously injured by unknown assailants as he approached the doorway to his apartment. Hernandez filed suit against the owner of the apartment complex, Terraces at Brookhaven, and the…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1295
Justia Opinion Summary: Timothy Wilson, Jr. was convicted by jury of child molestation, statutory rape, and two counts of incest involving his 13-year-old stepdaughter, B. O., and the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of conviction. Wilson…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1404
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari to consider whether the Court of Appeals properly identified the accrual date of the legal malpractice claim in this case. The court determined that the accrual date for the…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0025
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Annette Collins Flood was convicted of felony murder and a knife offense in connection with the stabbing death of Bobby Burns, her longtime boyfriend. Appellant contended on appeal that the evidence was…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0143
Justia Opinion Summary: For a brief time period, OCGA 9-3-33.1 allowed time-barred civil claims for childhood sexual abuse to be revived. During that time period, Joy Caroline Harvey Merchan sued her parents, Walter Jackson Harvey, Jr., and…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0184
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Paula Kelly was convicted of murder and other crimes in 2015. Through new counsel, Kelly filed a motion for new trial, which was denied in an order entered on September 11, 2018. On October 15, 2018, Kelly…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0229
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jaren Sullivan was convicted of malice murder and other charges related to the shooting death of Marques Dockery and the aggravated assault of Najee Murray. On appeal, Appellant contended that his trial counsel…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0246
Justia Opinion Summary: Martin Montanez was convicted by jury for the murders of Byron Caceres and Eulalio Mederos-Vega and several theft, firearm-possession, and drug-related offenses arising from the incident in which they were killed. On…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0267
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jamie Hood appealed his 2015 convictions on a total of 36 counts charging him with murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, carjacking, and other offenses. The charges arose from the December 2010 shooting death…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0286
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, Bilal Jackson was convicted by jury for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, attempted armed robbery, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0288
Justia Opinion Summary: Shay Merritt was convicted by jury of malice murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of his wife, Rita Ann Merritt. On appeal, Merritt raised six claims of trial court error and further argued…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0289
Justia Opinion Summary: Frank Huffman was convicted by jury of felony murder in connection with the shooting death of James Tanner Conrad (“Tanner”). On appeal, Huffman claimed the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0297
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Micayla “Cay Cay” Taylor was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Divante Rodriekus Simmons and the aggravated assault of William Lawton. On appeal, Appellant…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0409
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Demetrius Heade was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Michael Harvey. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) the trial court erred in ruling that evidence…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0454
Justia Opinion Summary: Walter Terry Moon, Jr., was convicted by jury of murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting deaths of Emily Pickles and Michael Biancosino. Moon challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, contending among…
Date: June 21, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0941
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, Kelvin Gilliam was jointly tried with Frederick Terrell and Michael Stinchcomb on an indictment charging them with one count of murder, one count of felony murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault, and…
Date: June 18, 2021
Docket Number: S20G0931
Justia Opinion Summary: This case presented the question of whether defendants in criminal cases could have their cases dismissed for lack of jurisdiction because verdicts were rendered or sentences imposed on less than all counts of an…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0132
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Philemon Shark Jackson was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Clyde Weeks. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) the evidence was legally insufficient to…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0152
Justia Opinion Summary: Robert Rogers was convicted of felony murder in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Richard Trantham, Jr. On appeal, Rogers contended the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that the trial…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0160, S21A0159
Justia Opinion Summary: In related appeals, Donovan Fitts and Jermanique Franklin appealed their convictions for murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting deaths of Tenecia Posley and Barry Johnson. In Case No. S21A0159,…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0243, S21A0402
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Jefrey Rios and Justin Carter, along with Marco Cruz, were jointly indicted for three counts of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Cristian Carrillo. The State could not…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0250
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jeffrey Lewis was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the fatal shooting of Delorean Patterson, who was killed during an armed robbery that Lewis, Patterson, and others carried out at…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0295
Justia Opinion Summary: Deanthony Davenport was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2014 shooting death of Willie Thomas. On appeal, Davenport argued: (1) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0303, S21A0302
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Zonnique Maxwell and Tyquarius Washington appealed a trial court’s partial denial of their respective motions for autrefois convict and pleas of procedural double jeopardy based on OCGA sections 16-1-7 and…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0329
Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose from a taxpayer grievance concerning whether the Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors (the “Board”) had been diligent in determining that the Atlanta Falcons Stadium Company LLC (“StadCo”) had a usufruct…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0377
Justia Opinion Summary: Dequan Holmes appealed his convictions for felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime for the shooting death of Javares Alston and the non-fatal shooting…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0395
Justia Opinion Summary: Tony Thomas was convicted by jury of felony murder in the shooting death of Dominique Boyer; malice murder in the shooting deaths of Veondus Dennis and Antwan Wheeler; aggravated assault against Fredrick Foster, Raheem…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0424
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant O’Shaye Walker was convicted of felony murder, armed robbery, attempt to purchase marijuana, and a firearm offense in connection with the shooting death of Taquahn Jackson. He argued on appeal the trial court…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0553
Justia Opinion Summary: Charles Tyler was convicted by jury of felony murder, armed robbery, and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of David Fulkrod and theft of copper from a recycling facility. On appeal, Tyler challenged the…
Date: June 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21P0078
Justia Opinion Summary: Rodney Renia Young was convicted by jury for the murder of Gary Jones and related crimes. The jury declined in its guilt/innocence phase verdict to find him “mentally retarded.” At the conclusion of the sentencing phase,…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S20G1121
Justia Opinion Summary: Rubin Harvey, while driving a dump truck in the course of his employment with Oxford Construction Company, collided with a tractor driven by Johnny Williams, causing severe injuries to Williams. After Oxford conceded…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0035
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Alpherd Jones was convicted of felony murder in connection with the beating death of his girlfriend, LaShanda January. On appeal, he contended the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient to support his…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0070
Justia Opinion Summary: Lernard Bonner appealed his conviction for felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Lekeshia Moses. On appeal, Bonner contended the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that the trial…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0074
Justia Opinion Summary: James Stewart was convicted by jury of felony murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Wendy Johnson. Stewart contended on appeal that the trial court committed plain error in giving an…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0075
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Emerson Abbott was tried by jury and found guilty of murder and numerous other crimes arising from the 2015 shooting deaths of James and Myra Reeves. On appeal, Appellant contended the trial court erred in…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0091, S21X0092
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2012, Waseem Daker was found guilty of malice murder and other crimes. Daker had hired or was appointed four attorneys, all of whom were allowed to withdraw before or near the beginning of the trial; he ultimately…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0220, S21A0221
Justia Opinion Summary: Simeon Moore and Walter Milbourne challenged their convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2014 shooting of Jamie Milton and the shooting death of Milton’s girlfriend, Jamie Moore (“Jamie”).…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0252
Justia Opinion Summary: Letisha McClain appealed a trial court’s denial of her motion to withdraw her guilty pleas to felony murder and three counts of aggravated assault. She claimed the trial court erred in denying her motion because…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0276
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Derain Waller was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Demonde Dicks, Jr. On appeal, Appellant contended the evidence was legally insufficient to support his…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0298
Justia Opinion Summary: Charmon Sinkfield was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2009 shooting death of Vernon Forrest. On appeal, Sinkfield contended the trial court erred when it denied his pretrial challenge…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0318
Justia Opinion Summary: Freeman Matthews was convicted by jury of malice murder, battery, and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the 2009 stabbing death of Adrianne Young and also found him guilty of…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0320
Justia Opinion Summary: William Felts was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the 2007 stabbing deaths of Delarlonva Mattox, Jr., and Chrisondra Kimble. Felts appealed, arguing that the evidence presented at…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0321
Justia Opinion Summary: Chauncey Pope was convicted by jury of malice murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with the 2014 shooting death of Derrick…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0331
Justia Opinion Summary: Julian Redding was convicted of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Prince Varner. He appealed, asserting three errors in the trial…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0399
Justia Opinion Summary: Damarcus Dukes was convicted by jury of malice murder and related offenses in connection with crimes committed against Demarius Denham, Dankevion Chatman, and Uzamoake Moh. On appeal, Dukes claimed the trial court erred…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0438
Justia Opinion Summary: Drexton Thomas appealed his convictions for malice murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Jeffrey Douglas, Sr., and the aggravated assault of Jeffrey Douglas, Jr. (“Junior”). He argued: (1)…
Date: May 17, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0448
Justia Opinion Summary: Rufus Griffin appealed his convictions for the 2016 malice murder of Kerry Freeman and related offenses, contending, among other things, that the trial court made certain evidentiary errors and that trial counsel…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Numbers: S20G0695, S20G0696
Justia Opinion Summary: Two cases consolidated for review by the Georgia Supreme Court arose from a car accident that happened after Byron Perry stole a sport utility vehicle (SUV) from a rental lot where he worked and later crashed into…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0010
Justia Opinion Summary: Tina Marie Booth was convicted by jury of felony murder and neglect of an elder person, charges that arose in connection with the death of her mother, Linda Cowart. The evidence at trial showed that Booth took custody of…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0494, S21A0441, S21A0041
Justia Opinion Summary: Demarco Draughn, Xavier Levatte, and Benny Hayward appealed their malice murder convictions for the 2017 stabbing death of fellow inmate Bobby Ricks. Draughn and Levatte challenged the sufficiency of the evidence…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0066
Justia Opinion Summary: Dana Kessler was convicted by jury of felony murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Jeffrey Morgan, Jr. On appeal, Kessler raised three claims in which the trial court erred, arguing that…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0210
Justia Opinion Summary: Carly Walden was charged with malice murder and other crimes for the April 2019, shooting death of her mother, Andrea Walker, at Walker’s home. Walden called police and reported a shooting; she claimed an unidentified…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0305
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Charles Outlaw was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Angela Rabotte. On appeal, he argued the trial court erred by denying his motions to suppress evidence…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0306
Justia Opinion Summary: Andrew Bell challenged the denial of his application for mandamus and injunctive relief in which he sought to compel Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to include Bell’s name as an independent candidate on the ballot…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0324, S21X0325
Justia Opinion Summary: Tyler Thomas was convicted of malice murder and a firearm crime in connection with the fatal shooting of Ashley Brown during a planned drug deal. The trial court granted Thomas’s motion for new trial, ruling that the…
Date: May 3, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0383
Justia Opinion Summary: Sergio Moon was tried by jury and convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Linda Flint, the great-grandmother of his children. Moon argued on appeal: (1) the trial court erred…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0086
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Nakotah Smith challenged his 2019 convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Crystal Vega. Smith did not dispute that the evidence presented at trial…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0089
Justia Opinion Summary: Terrone Anthony was convicted of malice murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of Kavader McKibben. On appeal, Anthony contended his…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0121
Justia Opinion Summary: James Vann was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Tiesha Davis. On appeal, Vann contended that his trial counsel was ineffective in failing to request a jury…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0141
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2016, Michael Gobert was convicted by jury of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Johnny Montgomery and the aggravated assaults of Edrius Putnam and Deisman Harrison. On appeal,…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0162
Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Truett was convicted of malice murder and related crimes arising out of the beating death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old son, Wyatt Pruitt. He appealed, arguing only that the trial court erred in excluding…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0247
Justia Opinion Summary: Eder Acosta appealed his convictions for malice murder and first-degree cruelty to children in connection with the death of Bryan Guzman. Acosta argued on appeal that the trial court erred in admitting the statements he…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0254, S21A0253
Justia Opinion Summary: Million Bedford and Yaheed Brooks were tried together and convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Johnny Jackson. Each contended on appeal that there was insufficient…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0372
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Derrick Agee was found guilty at a bench trial of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Steven Lowe and assault of Monitaaz Simmons. On appeal, Agee contended the evidence was…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Number: S21Q0227
Justia Opinion Summary: The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit certified to three questions of law to the Georgia Supreme Court relating to a lawsuit brought in federal district court by Fife Whiteside, the trustee of the…
Date: April 19, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21Y0652, S21Y0654, S21Y0655, S21Y0657, S21Y0658
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Numbers: S20Y0947, S20Y0948
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0034
Justia Opinion Summary: At a 2014 jury trial, John “Shug” Johnson was found guilty of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Brandon Scott. Johnson’s motion for new trial was granted on the basis of plain…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0044
Justia Opinion Summary: Zemartae Davis was convicted of felony murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the stabbing death of Dontravious Hoskins. On appeal, Davis contended the trial court erred when…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0084
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Pindling was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Robert Pett. On appeal, Pindling argued the trial court plainly erred when instructing the jury that a single…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0118
Justia Opinion Summary: Corey Green was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the armed robbery and shooting death of Christopher Peek. On appeal, he claimed he was improperly sentenced as a recidivist, and that…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Numbers: S21A0191, S21A0192
Justia Opinion Summary: Mims Michael Morris, Sr. (“Mims”), Mims Michael Morris, Jr. (“Michael”), and Roy Bradshaw (“Roy”) were convicted by jury of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and robbery in the fatal beating of Earl Gill.…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0217
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Robert McDaniel appeals pro se from the trial court’s denial of his motion for out-of-time appeal, his general demurrer, and his motion in arrest of judgment. In 2014, a grand jury indicted McDaniel for malice…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0269
Justia Opinion Summary: Eric Brandon was convicted of malice murder in connection with the killing of his stepson, Alexander Koser. The evidence showed that Koser was shot several times at close range. On appeal, Brandon argued only that the…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0296
Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Byers appealed his convictions for malice murder, aggravated battery, concealing the death of another, abandonment of a dead body, and tampering with evidence, all related to the killing of Ray Walnoha. On…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0314
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Malik Rice appealed his convictions for felony murder and other related crimes in connection with the shooting death of Clarence Gardenhire. Rice argued on appeal that the trial court committed plain error in…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0322
Justia Opinion Summary: Fernando Lopez appealed his conviction for malice murder for the stabbing death of Corey Williams. On appeal, Lopez argued that the trial court admitted improper hearsay evidence against him: Williams’s dying statements…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0392
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Derrick Thurman challenged his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Timothy Hobbs. In his sole enumeration of error, Thurman contended his trial counsel…
Date: April 5, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0422
Justia Opinion Summary: Courtney Thomas was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Shevonta Hardwick. Following the denial of his motion for new trial, Thomas appealed,…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1143
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2016, a second jury found Hemy Neuman guilty of the malice murder of Russell Sneiderman, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Neuman’s 2012 convictions were reversed by the Georgia Supreme…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Numbers: S20A1505, S20A1506
Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Pender and Christopher Whitaker were found by jury guilty of felony murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of David Scott and the assault of Eric Morris. In his appeal, Pender argued:…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1520
Justia Opinion Summary: Jermontae Moss was convicted of felony murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and theft by receiving stolen property in connection with the 2011 shooting death of Jose Marin. At the time of the…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1522
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2017, a grand jury indicted Ryan Duke for malice murder and related offenses in connection with the October 2005 death of Tara Grinstead. For approximately 17 months, Duke was represented by a public defender from the…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1528
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Chanze McGarity was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2013 shooting death of James Hendon. On appeal, Appellant contended the trial court erred by: (1) limiting Appellant’s…
Date: March 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20G0601
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, the surviving spouse of Franklin Callens and the administrator of his estate, sued defendants, the owner and manager of an apartment complex where Callens was killed during an armed robbery. Plaintiffs…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1104
Justia Opinion Summary: Kevin Harrison was convicted by jury of murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of his wife, Heather Harrison. In the months leading up to the shooting, Heather had confided in multiple friends and…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1196
Justia Opinion Summary: Robert Gialenios was convicted by jury in 2019 of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony arising out of the shooting death of Bryan Overseth, the husband of Gialenios’ mistress. His…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1245
Justia Opinion Summary: Delaljujuan Jones was tried by jury and convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with a shooting that killed Stanley Hill and wounded three others. Jones appealed, contending: (1) the evidence presented at his…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Numbers: S20A1297, S20A1298
Justia Opinion Summary: Demarco Butler and Antonio Avery were tried jointly by jury and convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with a shooting incident that killed Jordan Collins and wounded his brother, Chad. Butler appealed,…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1469
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Benjamin Finney was convicted of felony murder and two firearm crimes based on the 2008 fatal shooting Gwendolyn Cole, the mother of one of Appellant’s rivals. On appeal, Appellant argued, among other things,…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1476
Justia Opinion Summary: Jesse Strickland was convicted by jury of malice murder and armed robbery in connection with the death of Arthur Westberry. On appeal, Strickland contended: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support the jury’s…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1539
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gregory Pearson was convicted by jury on: five counts of armed robbery; two counts of burglary; one count of aggravated assault; and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1548
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Sacorey McKelvey was convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Corey Owens. On appeal, McKelvey contended: (1) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0006
Justia Opinion Summary: Liubov Volkova appealed her conviction for the murder of her husband, Jordan Whitson. Volkova called police to inform them her husband had been shot. When police arrived, Volkova led them to Whitson’s body, which was…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0334
Justia Opinion Summary: William Gaddy was convicted of felony murder and related crimes in connection with the death of Addisyn Sanders, the two- year-old daughter of Gaddy’s girlfriend, Tiffany Harris. Gaddy generally watched Addisyn while…
Date: March 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0396
Justia Opinion Summary: Dan Toni Swinson appealed his convictions on two counts of malice murder in connection with the shooting deaths of Heber Jettie Bennett, Jr., and Eliace Marie Smith. On appeal, Swinson contended: (1) the evidence was…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1093
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kalvin Suggs challenged his 2017 convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Tony Harrison. Appellant contended: (1) the evidence presented at his trial was legally…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1101
Justia Opinion Summary: Hakim Lofton was convicted by jury of malice murder and possession of a firearm, in connection with the 2013 shooting death of Jason Walker. On appeal, Lofton challenged the sufficiency of the evidence presented against…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1120
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Eric Smith was convicted of the felony murder of Eric Hernandez, the aggravated assaults of Juan Vargas and Manuel Hernandez, and a firearm offense. He appealed, contending the trial court erred in limiting his…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1157
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jerry Carston was convicted of malice murder and related firearm and gang crimes after he shot and killed Quinton Williams, who had left Appellant’s gang. On appeal, Appellant argued the trial court erred by…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1205
Justia Opinion Summary: At the center of this appeal was a dispute between the Polo Golf and Country Club Homeowners’ Association (the “HOA”) and Forsyth County over the validity of Section 4.2.2 of Forsyth County’s Addendum to the Georgia…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1223
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kelvin Hurston and his co-defendant Dextreion Shealey were convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the gang-related shooting death of Daven Tucker. Appellant contended the trial court…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1552
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dekito Champ was convicted of malice murder and a firearm offense in connection with the shooting death of his former girlfriend, Jana Watson. Appellant’s sole claim on appeal was that the trial court erred by…
Date: February 15, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0244
Justia Opinion Summary: Nathan Mims was convicted by jury for murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime for stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Naty Ortiz-Ramos, to death. His sole enumeration of error was that the evidence…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1205
Justia Opinion Summary: At heart of this case was a dispute between the Polo Golf and Country Club Homeowners’ Association (the “HOA”) and Forsyth County, Georgia over the validity of Section 4.2.2 of Forsyth County’s Addendum to the Georgia…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1230
Justia Opinion Summary: Willie Kitchens was convicted by jury of two counts of malice murder, arson, attempted rape and other crimes in connection with the 2011 stabbing deaths of Corey Kemp and Melanie Troupe. In his sole claim of error,…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1477
Justia Opinion Summary: After Travis Jordan brought an abrupt end to his murder trial by pleading guilty to felony murder, he moved to withdraw his plea prior to sentencing. The trial court denied Jordan’s motion, concluding that Jordan did not…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1571
Justia Opinion Summary: Aquillous Rayon Henderson tried by jury and convicted of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Timothy Hill. His amended motion for new trial was denied, and he appealed, arguing…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Numbers: S20A1574, S20X1575
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2007, Matthew Jackson was convicted of 28 counts of armed robbery and other crimes. During his trial, motion for new trial proceeding, and direct appeal, in which the Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions, Jackson…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20G0528
Justia Opinion Summary: Ted Jefferson was convicted by jury of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, and other offenses, for which the trial court sentenced him to life plus five consecutive years in prison. Jefferson moved for a new trial,…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S20G0584
Justia Opinion Summary: Ronald and Christy Cannon sued Oconee County, Georgia after a vehicle chase initiated by an Oconee County sheriff’s deputy ended in their daughter’s death. The trial court granted the County’s motion for summary…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0113
Justia Opinion Summary: Johnathon Kirkland appealed his convictions for malice murder and related offenses, contending the trial court erred by failing to suppress an identification of him made by means of a photo lineup. Specifically, Kirkland…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0256
Justia Opinion Summary: Alfredo Allen was convicted of malice murder and other related crimes in connection with the 2015 stabbing death of Erin McKinney and the aggravated battery of Candice McKinney. On appeal, he challenged the sufficiency…
Date: February 1, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0381
Justia Opinion Summary: Deshaun Middlebrooks appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Quintavious Barber and the aggravated assault of Keundre Chappell. On appeal, Middlebrooks…
Date: January 11, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1118
Justia Opinion Summary: Kevin Palmer was acquitted of malice murder, but convicted by jury of felony murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of William Whitsett. His amended motion for new trial was denied, and he…
Date: January 11, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1288
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Larry Harper, Jr. was convicted of the malice murder of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Thandiwe “Tandy” Hunt, the concealing of her death, and for tampering with evidence. Hunt wanted to leave Appellant, but…
Date: January 11, 2021
Docket Number: S20A1289
Justia Opinion Summary: Sharod Johnson was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with a 2010 string of armed robberies that culminated in the shooting death of David Casto. Johnson contended the trial court erred when it…
Date: January 11, 2021
Docket Number: S21A0207
Justia Opinion Summary: Javian Nesby appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Jordan Morris. Nesby contended the trial court erred by conducting numerous bench conferences outside…
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