Harris v. Georgia
Annotate this CaseThis case stemmed from the criminal trial of Shalita Jackson Harris, a school bus driver who was convicted of homicide by vehicle in the first degree after the bus she drove crashed, resulting in the death of a student. Following her conviction, Harris moved for new trial alleging that jurors had engaged in misconduct during deliberations by researching the available sentences for her charges. The trial court denied the motion, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. The Georgia Supreme Court found that both the Court of Appeals and trial court applied the wrong legal standards in deciding whether Harris’ claim of juror misconduct was not sufficiently prejudicial to require a new trial. Accordingly, the judgment was vacated and the case remanded for further proceedings.
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