Supreme Court of Georgia Decisions 2023
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0802
Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Georgia, Raymond Chambliss was convicted of felony murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Tonia Herring, during an argument. On appeal, Chambliss raised several claims. He argued that…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0857, S23A1030
Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Georgia, the appellants, London Clements and Eric Velazquez, were jointly tried for murder and other offenses connected to the shooting death of Hall County Deputy Sheriff Blane Dixon on July 7,…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0861
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the convictions of Milton Nathaniel Scott for felony murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of Jerrica Porter. Scott had appealed his conviction on the…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0881, S23A1225, S24A0055
Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Georgia, the justices decided on the case involving Tavius Bates, Octavious Jordan, and Jeremy Southern who were convicted of crimes stemming from the shooting death of Nicholas Hagood. The crimes…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0893
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the conviction of Roy Lee Waters for felony murder related to the shooting death of his longtime girlfriend, Melvina Dunlap. Waters appealed on the grounds that the evidence was…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0894
Justia Opinion Summary: In July 2015, Christopher Reid Scoggins and co-defendant Fred Jason Charles were indicted for the murder of Stephanie Daniel and other related offenses. The jury found both defendants guilty on all counts. Scoggins was…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0906
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, James Leon Beard III, appealed his convictions for felony murder and a firearm offense resulting from the shooting death of his wife, Angela Bishop. He contested that the trial court erred by…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0948
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Cynthia Jones was convicted of malice murder and related crimes in connection to the shooting death of her husband, Kenneth Jones. The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed her conviction. Cynthia appealed her…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A1078
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Laquan Hasuan Jivens was convicted for malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of Kathy Henry. Jivens appealed, arguing that the…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A1095
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2018, Dorothy Warren passed away after Dr. Nirandr Inthachak allegedly misinterpreted her CT scan. Angela Wilson, Warren’s daughter, filed a lawsuit against Dr. Inthachak. The trial court granted summary…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A1097
Justia Opinion Summary: In Georgia, Edward Lee was convicted of malice murder and other crimes related to a series of offenses committed between December 15, 2011, and January 19, 2012. On appeal, Lee argued that the trial court erred in…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A1158
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Georgia considered whether the State violated Joseph Robert Gates's right to privacy under the Georgia Constitution by obtaining his medical records through an ex parte court order. The…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23C0795
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Arlene James filed a premises liability lawsuit against Brixmor New Chastain Corners SC, LLC, after she tripped on a parking bumper in a parking lot owned by Brixmor and sustained injuries. The parking…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23G0169
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, property owners and residents of the Statham Lakefront Subdivision in Sumter County, Georgia, sought to require the county to repair roads in their subdivision. The county had not expressly accepted the…
Date: December 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23G0310
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Georgia had to determine whether a unit-of-prosecution analysis or a required evidence analysis should be used to address the question of merger as to one count of aggravated child…
Date: November 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0846
Justia Opinion Summary: Kiresa Cooper was convicted by jury of malice murder, feticide, and other related crimes in connection with the shooting death of Auriel Callaway, who was pregnant at the time she died. On appeal, Cooper argued: (1) the…
Date: November 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0871
Justia Opinion Summary: Pacer Sebastian Carter appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Aramis O’Brad Peterson. Carter argued the trial court erred in omitting a jury instruction…
Date: November 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0956
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Armetrius Neason was convicted of malice murder and a related charge in connection with the shooting death of Teresa Carter. On appeal, Neason contended the evidence was insufficient as a matter of federal…
Date: November 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A1137
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Larry Thomas appealed his convictions for felony murder in connection with the vehicular deaths of Krystof Krawczynski and Elizbieta Gurtler-Krawczynski. On appeal, Appellant contends that the trial court erred…
Date: November 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23G0836
Justia Opinion Summary: Latoya Bray filed an action against sheriff’s lieutenant Stormie Watkins, in her official and individual capacities, for damages allegedly caused by her failure to activate a tornado warning system while working in a…
Date: November 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0534
Justia Opinion Summary: The issue presented for the Georgia Supreme Court's review centered on whether Larry Jenkins’ unequivocal statement that he would not talk to law enforcement without a lawyer was a valid invocation of his Miranda rights.…
Date: November 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0686
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Cody Regan appealed his sentence of 20 years in prison, with one year to serve, for one count of felony child molestation, following his non-negotiated guilty plea. Regan argued he improperly received a felony…
Date: October 24, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0747
Justia Opinion Summary: Cortney Bell was convicted by jury of second degree murder, second degree cruelty to children, and felony contributing to the dependency of a minor in connection with the death of her infant daughter, Caliyah. The Court…
Date: October 24, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0421
Justia Opinion Summary: The lawsuit giving rise to this appeal challenged the Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act (“LIFE Act”), which regulated abortion procedures in Georgia. Although Appellees claimed at trial that the LIFE Act violated…
Date: October 24, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0443
Justia Opinion Summary: Deveric Hardy was convicted of malice murder for the November 2016 shooting death of Kyree Smith. He appealed that conviction, arguing that his trial counsel provided constitutionally ineffective assistance by failing to…
Date: October 24, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0519
Justia Opinion Summary: Jessica Eubanks was convicted by jury of felony murder. Eubanks lived with her boyfriend, Shawn Hughes, and Shawn’s sister, Amy Hughes, who had severe developmental disabilities. Eubanks used heroin and methamphetamine…
Date: October 24, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0801, S23A0783
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Joshua Rooks and Quatez Clark were convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Christopher Dean. Rooks contended the evidence presented at trial was legally…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0914
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2018, Bianca Bouie was returning from her lunch break to her workplace, Prodigies Child Care Management, LLC, also known as University Childcare Center (“University Childcare”), when she looked away from the…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S22G1152
Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeals affirmed a superior court order granting a judgment on the pleadings in favor of the Sheriff of Tift County, Gene Scarbrough, in this action brought by Sherrie McBrayer for the wrongful death of her…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0429
Justia Opinion Summary: On May 19, 1996, the body of Bridgett Parker was discovered near an abandoned mobile home. Parker’s throat had been cut, and she had been raped. Soon after, law enforcement officers identified Appellant Octavious Rivera…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0460
Justia Opinion Summary: Donald Steele appealed his convictions for felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the stabbing death of Kevin McGruder. Steele argued on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to support his felony…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0547
Justia Opinion Summary: Harold Kinlaw was convicted by jury of the malice murder of Felipe Herrera, the aggravated stalking and kidnapping of Kinlaw’s former wife Damaris Kinlaw, and other related crimes. Kinlaw appealed, arguing: (1) the…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0589
Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Sosebee was convicted by jury of felony murder in the 2020 death of Brian Hayes resulting from a car wreck. A sheriff’s deputy was looking for a black car that had been spraypainted and was missing its front…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0654
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Raekwon Pauldo was convicted of malice murder in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Jacquel Smith. On appeal, Pauldo contended his trial counsel provided constitutionally ineffective assistance by: (1)…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0678
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Torrey Kimbro was convicted of malice murder and rape in connection with the strangling death of Diamond Shepherd. On appeal, Kimbro contended the evidence presented at his trial was legally insufficient to…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0682
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Torry Bowman and his friend, Maurice Goodman, got into an argument in a bar with brothers Alec and Britian Price. They confronted the Price brothers again outside the bar, and Alec was shot and died as a result…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0684
Justia Opinion Summary: Xavier Jones appealed his convictions for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2010 shooting death of Christopher Crumby. On appeal, Jones argued the trial court erred: (1) in not granting his motion for…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0702, S23A0703, S23A0704, S23A0705, S23A0706, S23A0707
Justia Opinion Summary: Antonio May died from injuries he sustained inside the Fulton County (Georgia) Jail while in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff. The defendants, Aaron Cook, Jason Roache, Guito Dela Cruz, Omar Jackson, Kenesia…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0728
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2020, Darnell Priester was convicted of malice murder, aggravated battery, and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Thomas Robinson and the non-fatal shooting of Timothy Nelson. He appealed, arguing:…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0753
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Reginald Maynor appealed his convictions for felony murder predicated on aggravated assault and other crimes related to the 2015 shooting death of Marti Stegall, Sr. This case stemmed from f a romantic affair…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0987
Justia Opinion Summary: Javion Caldwell was charged with: felony murder predicated on aggravated assault (Count 1), felony murder predicated on possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (Count 2), aggravated assault (Count 3), and…
Date: October 11, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23Y0688, S23Y0918
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0874
Justia Opinion Summary: Wise Business Forms, Inc. (“Wise”) was the nation’s fourth largest printer of business forms, and was headquartered in Forsyth County, Georgia. A 36-inch metal pipe (“Subject Pipe”) ran underneath Wise’s property and had…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S22G1247
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari in this case to decide whether revenue generated from the lease of a bona fide coin operated amusement machine (“COAM”) qualified as “gross revenues” exempt from taxation…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22Y0631, S23Y0279
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0433
Justia Opinion Summary: Walter Salvesen, III was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Johnathan Martin. On appeal, Salvesen contended: (1) the trial court admitted unduly prejudicial…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0522
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Rafael Carter appealed the trial court’s dismissal of his pro se motion to withdraw his guilty plea stemming from the murder of Terrance Fields during an armed robbery. The January 2016 term of court in which…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0530
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a reversal of his convictions on appeal and a retrial, Appellant Phillip Kennebrew was convicted of malice murder and related crimes in connection with the 2011 beating and stabbing death of Breyon Alexander.…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0631
Justia Opinion Summary: In April 2019, Kevin Roberts applied to Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr., probate judge for Rockdale County, for a weapons carry license pursuant to OCGA § 16-11-129. Judge Cuthpert denied Roberts’s application, finding that…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0670
Justia Opinion Summary: Nuwrulhaqq Hamilton was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Antonio Felton. On appeal, Hamilton argued: (1) the trial court erred by denying his motion for directed…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0758
Justia Opinion Summary: Leon Adams IV (“Leon”) was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Laron Lowe and the aggravated assault of Ronda Dobson. Leon contended: (1) the evidence was…
Date: September 19, 2023
Docket Number: S23Q0625
Justia Opinion Summary: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia certified two questions to the Georgia Supreme Court regarding OCGA § 51-1-11(c). Although product-liability claims were generally subject to a ten-year…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0854
Justia Opinion Summary: The petitioners here—two motorcycle dealerships who sought to enforce restrictive covenants against a former employee under Florida law— asked the Georgia Supreme Court to reconsider the application of a public-policy…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0454
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Diontye Scott was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Antonio Veal. On appeal, Scott contended his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0620
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kaylynn Ruthenberg was convicted of malice murder and other crimes arising from the shooting death of James Jones and the robbery of Samuel Gallardo. Appellant contended the trial court erred in admitting…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0699
Justia Opinion Summary: After the Georgia Board of Public Safety (“the Board”) denied Rick Kuhlman’s application for relief from the prohibition on the possession of firearms by convicted felons in OCGA § 16-11-131, Kuhlman sued the State of…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0736
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kentavous Wilkerson challenged his convictions for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Bradley Green and the non-fatal shooting of Rodney Greene. On appeal, Appellant…
Date: September 6, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0746
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Tarus Green was convicted of felony murder in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Gregory Bivin. On appeal, Green argued: (1) the evidence was constitutionally insufficient to sustain his conviction; (2)…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22C1252, S22C1259
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0905
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal arises from a fatal collision between a tractor-trailer driven by Lloy White and a car driven by Kristie Miller. The issue it presented for the Georgia Supreme Court's review centered on whether the…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22G1035
Justia Opinion Summary: After adjudicating A. H. delinquent, but finding that he was not in need of treatment, rehabilitation, or supervision, the juvenile court in this case entered an order dismissing the delinquency proceedings under OCGA §…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0465
Justia Opinion Summary: Perry Lee Hatcher, Jr., was convicted by jury of felony murder and cruelty to children in the third degree in connection with the shooting death of his wife, Dashea Hatcher, in the presence of their son, M. H. Hatcher…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0508
Justia Opinion Summary: Joshua Moulder was convicted of malice murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the July 2006 shooting death of Anthony Rudolph and was also convicted of…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0518
Justia Opinion Summary: Tomarkus Young was convicted by jury of felony murder and other charges in connection with the 2018 shooting death of Richard Anderson. On appeal, Young argued the evidence was constitutionally insufficient to support…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0550
Justia Opinion Summary: Larry Reese was convicted by jury of the 2015 malice murder of Claynesia Ringer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony based on shooting Ringer, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0720, S23A0559
Justia Opinion Summary: After a joint trial, Demetre Mason and Frankland Henderson were convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2014 shooting deaths of Sonia Williams and Shaniqua Camacho. On appeal, Mason contended…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0588
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jerrontae Morris was convicted of malice murder and related crimes in connection with the November 2015 shooting of a vehicle occupied by Anthony Lundy and Demeco Person, which fatally wounded Lundy. On appeal,…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0595
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Quentin Jackson was convicted of malice murder and related charges in connection with the shooting death of Darian Brewster. On appeal, Jackson argued: (1) the evidence was insufficient; (2) his trial counsel…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0599
Justia Opinion Summary: Scean Mitchell appealed his convictions for malice murder and other offenses in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Calvin Clark, Jr. Mitchell argued the trial court abused its discretion in admitting evidence of…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0601
Justia Opinion Summary: Tony Locklear was convicted by jury of the malice murder of William Long, concealing a death, and related charges. On appeal, Locklear challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions. He also argued…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0607
Justia Opinion Summary: Norris Owens was convicted by jury of felony murder based on possession of a firearm by a first-offender probationer and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Randolph Williamson. On appeal, Owens argued…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0613
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Steven Whittaker was convicted of malice murder and related crimes in connection with the 2018 stabbing death of LeBron Hankins. On appeal, Whittaker contended: (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0628
Justia Opinion Summary: Joseph Jackson appealed his malice murder conviction for the 2018 stabbing death of Claudine Hargrove. Jackson argued: (1) the trial court erred in failing to take curative action after the prosecutor commented on his…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0636
Justia Opinion Summary: James Randolph was convicted by jury of malice murder, armed robbery, and other crimes in connection with the 2000 armed robbery of Carlos Torres and Dennis Dixon and the shooting death of Rodney Castlin. On appeal,…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0647
Justia Opinion Summary: Joshua DeMuro was convicted by jury of murder in the 2018 shooting death of Kevin Gilman. DeMuro challenged the sufficiency of the evidence and contended the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fatal…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0710
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Ricardo Beltran-Gonzales appealed his conviction for malice murder in connection with a 2013 stabbing at Hays State Prison, which resulted in the death of fellow inmate Nathaniel Reynolds. On appeal, Appellant…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0715
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Robert Annunziata was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with a 2019 shooting that took place outside of a nightclub that resulted in the death of John Price and injuries to…
Date: August 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23Q0486
Justia Opinion Summary: The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio certified two questions to the Georgia Supreme Court regarding whether a state entity could continue asserting claims against opioid manufacturers and…
Date: August 16, 2023
Docket Number: S21Z0595
Justia Opinion Summary: Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Christian Coomer was charged with patterns of behavior regarding his use of campaign funds and his dealings with a legal client that allegedly undermined public confidence. The Hearing…
Date: August 16, 2023
Docket Number: S22Z0858
Justia Opinion Summary: The Hearing Panel of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) recommended that Gerald Johnson be removed from office for violating Rules 1.1, 1.2 (A), and 1.2 (B) of the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct…
Date: July 5, 2023
Docket Number: S22G1050
Justia Opinion Summary: Patrick Middleton moved to suppress evidence obtained during a search by Officer Amanda Graw of the Kingsland Police Department (“KPD”), arguing that she did not have authority to stop or search him because she was…
Date: July 5, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0436
Justia Opinion Summary: Sean Allen appealed his conviction for felony murder for the 2021 shooting death of Daquan Gillett. Allen argued: (1) the trial court erred when it failed to grant him immunity from prosecution based on self-defense; (2)…
Date: July 5, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0637
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Bobby Wood, Jr. was convicted of felony murder in connection with the 2020 shooting death of Aaron Skinner. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) the trial court abused its discretion in denying him the…
Date: June 29, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22G0527, S22G0617, S22G0618
Justia Opinion Summary: Three cases presented an opportunity for the Georgia Supreme Court to explore the scope and nature of the liability faced by premises owners, occupiers, and security contractors in cases involving personal injuries…
Date: June 29, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0260, S23X0261
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2009, a jury convicted David Edenfield for the 2007 sexual assault and murder of six-year-old Christopher Barrios, and the jury imposed a death sentence for the murder. Lead trial counsel, joined by other attorneys,…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0838
Justia Opinion Summary: The three plaintiffs in this case had each rented rooms at an extended-stay motel for some time. They fell behind on their rent and were threatened with immediate eviction. They sued to stop that from happening, claiming…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0032
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Phillip Blocker appealed his convictions for malice murder, participation in criminal street gang activity, and related offenses in connection with the 2010 shooting death of Eric Smith. Appellant argued on…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0135
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Joshua Leonard was convicted by jury of malice murder and related crimes arising from the August 2010 shooting of Calvin Grimes, which resulted in Grimes’ death approximately ten months later from complications…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0200
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Eric Greene was convicted of malice murder and theft by taking in connection with the strangling death of Sheila Bryant in January 2019. On appeal, Greene contended that the evidence was legally insufficient to…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0214
Justia Opinion Summary: Rico King was convicted by jury of the 2018 malice murder of Michael Brooks and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony based on shooting Brooks. King argued on appeal: (1) that the trial court…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0228
Justia Opinion Summary: Anthony Perryman-Henderson was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Tanaya Dunlap. On appeal, Perryman-Henderson contended: (1) his trial counsel provided ineffective…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0253
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Philip Pugh entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill to malice murder in connection with the shooting death of Vincent Newsome. On appeal, Pugh claimed the trial court erred in denying his motion to withdraw…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0316, S23A0373, S23A0427
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Durell Muse, Darious Harris, and Darious’s Jujuane Harris, appealed their convictions following a joint trial for malice murder and other crimes stemming from the shooting death of Antonio Clements, the…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0338
Justia Opinion Summary: Reginald Johnson was convicted of felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children in connection with the 2016 death of his six-month-old daughter, Jordan. On appeal, Johnson contended that (1) the evidence was…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0507
Justia Opinion Summary: Demarcus Brinkley was charged with the kidnapping, attempted rape, and murder of Mariam Khalid Abdulrab. After the police identified him as a suspect for those crimes, Brinkley fled, leading officers in a high speed car…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0531
Justia Opinion Summary: Quavion Rountree appealed his conviction for malice murder in connection with the 2019 shooting death of Anahitdeep Singh Sandhu. Rountree contended on appeal that the trial court erred in failing to charge the jury on…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0665, S23A0800, S23A0583
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Sarah Thompson, Kevin Muldowney, and Edward Metz filed three, virtually identical complaints in their respective counties on December 6, 2022, alleging that the voting system used that day in the runoff…
Date: June 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0733
Justia Opinion Summary: Jose Basulto appealed his convictions for felony murder and aggravated assault stemming from an incident in which he drove his truck into several pedestrians after a bar fight. Basulto’s actions resulted in the deaths of…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0017, S23X0018
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, Mary Jackson and a nonprofit organization, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc. (“ROSE”), filed a complaint against the Georgia Secretary of State challenging the constitutionality of the Georgia Lactation…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0063
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Trevis Price was convicted by jury of malice murder and other offenses in connection with the deaths of L. C. Tumblin Jr. and Dexter Covin. On appeal, Price challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0111
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dennaryl Head was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2006 shooting death of Dwight Smith. On appeal, Head contended that: (1) the evidence presented at trial was legally…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0166
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Garrett Davis was convicted of felony murder in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Eugene Stinchcomb. On appeal, Davis contended: (1) the evidence was legally insufficient to support his convictions;…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0167
Justia Opinion Summary: Five University System of Georgia (“USG”) professors filed suit to block a 2017 statutory amendment that removed public colleges and other public postsecondary educational institutions from the statutory definition of…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0273
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2012, Southern States Chemical, Inc. and Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer Company (collectively, “Southern States”) sued Tampa Tank & Welding, Inc. (“Tampa Tank”) and Corrosion Control, Inc. (“CCI”), claiming…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0276
Justia Opinion Summary: Geovanni Perez was convicted of felony murder and a firearm offense in connection with the 2018 shooting death of Rahmier Gardner. Perez contended on appeal: (1) that the evidence was constitutionally insufficient to…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0281
Justia Opinion Summary: Matthew Copeland was convicted of felony murder and related crimes in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Carlos Glenn. Copeland contended that the evidence was constitutionally insufficient to support his…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0322
Justia Opinion Summary: Undrea Burley was convicted by jury of felony murder in connection with the beating death of Joshua Brooks. Burley contended the trial court plainly erred by failing to instruct the jury sua sponte on the elements of…
Date: May 31, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23Y0492, S23Y0493, S23Y0494, S23Y0495, S23Y0496
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0034
Justia Opinion Summary: Ryan O’Neal was convicted of malice murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and other related crimes in connection with the shooting death of Joseph Jackson. On appeal, O’Neal contended: (1)…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0084
Justia Opinion Summary: Bryan Jones was convicted of felony murder and other offenses in connection with a shooting that killed Dorian Drewery and injured Joshua Childs. Jones appealed, arguing: (1) the trial court erred in giving a jury…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0090, S23A0091
Justia Opinion Summary: Lorenzo Harris was indicted for malice murder and other offenses arising from the shooting of Larry Jones. The State appealed the trial court’s pretrial rulings, which were not reduced to writing, granting Harris’s…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0102
Justia Opinion Summary: Manvel Britton was charged with murder and other offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of Eddy Leonardo. The State appealed the trial court’s grant of Britton’s motion to suppress evidence from his cell phone…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0139, S23A0140
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Michael Ward and Frederick Dewberry were convicted of malice murder and felony murder in connection with the stabbing death of Antonio Wiley and aggravated assault in connection with the stabbing of Wydreicus…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0203
Justia Opinion Summary: Brandon Williams appealed his convictions for malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of Corey Coleman. Williams contended the trial court erred:…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0224
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2017, Erasmus Chandler was found guilty by jury of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation. In 2019, the Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions in an unpublished opinion. Chandler later…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0259
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dwight Blalock, Jr., was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2014 fatal shooting of Carlos Wright and the aggravated assault of Bryan Morrow. On appeal, Blalock contended: (1) the…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0264
Justia Opinion Summary: A habeas court granted relief to Jonathon Medina on the grounds that his guilty plea was involuntary and trial counsel was ineffective. Timothy Ward, the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections, appealed…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23P0046
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2007, Jeremy Moody was charged with the rape and murder of 13-year-old Chrisondra Kimble and the murder of Kimble’s 15-year-old cousin, Delarlonva Mattox, Jr., and other related offenses. Shortly after Moody’s jury…
Date: May 16, 2023
Docket Number: S23Q0105
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Elkin King sued Appellee Forrest King, Jr., his former stepfather, in federal district court, alleging that Forrest had concealed, misused, and converted the proceeds of a wrongful death settlement that had…
Date: May 11, 2023
Docket Number: S22Y0394
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Numbers: S23A0022, S23A0023
Justia Opinion Summary: Derrick Session challenged his convictions for failing to register as a sex offender in Georgia based on a conviction he received in Louisiana. He argued: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his Georgia…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0066
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Tyree Ingram was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the fatal shooting of LaMarcus Brown during the early morning hours of September 13, 2019. On appeal, Ingram contended his trial…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0171
Justia Opinion Summary: Torres Boles appealed his convictions for felony murder and other charges in connection with the death of his three-year-old daughter, Andraia Boles. He argued on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to support his…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0208
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a joint trial with co-defendants Darnell Sillah and Andrew Murray, Tavaughn Saylor was convicted of malice murder for the 2012 shooting death of Paul Sampleton, Jr., as well as various other crimes. On appeal,…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0210
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Sasha McCalop was convicted of malice murder in connection with the stabbing death of Michael Martin, her boyfriend of three years. On appeal, McCalop contended: (1) the trial court erred in allowing the…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0256
Justia Opinion Summary: Nicholas Bacon 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 64-year-old mother, Montez Bacon. On appeal, Bacon alleged…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0379
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Perrault was convicted by jury of malice murder and simple battery, family violence of his wife, Amanda Perrault. On appeal, Perrault argued: (1) the evidence was not sufficient to support his convictions; (2)…
Date: May 2, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0420
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Williams was indicted on two counts of felony murder, burglary in the first degree, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0057
Justia Opinion Summary: Brandon Fuller 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 Daniel Landy. On appeal, Fuller contended he was denied…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0109
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Joseph Priester was convicted of malice murder and related offenses in connection with the May 2017 shooting death of Genaro Rojas-Martinez. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) the trial court erred in…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0124
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Bernard Brock challenged his convictions for malice murder and other crimes arising out of the 2015 beating death of Marlene Murray. On appeal, Appellant argued the trial court abused its discretion in…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0141
Justia Opinion Summary: Evins Vontravis Harris was convicted by jury of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2018 shooting death of Darius Roberts. On appeal, Harris argued the trial court erred in denying him immunity from…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0314
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brandon Williams was convicted of malice murder in connection with the February 2016 shooting death of Kavozia Walker. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) insufficient evidence supported his conviction; (2) the…
Date: April 18, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0340
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Martin challenged his 2015 convictions for felony murder and a firearm offense in connection with the shooting death of Marlon Underwood. Appellant’s only enumeration of error was that the evidence…
Date: March 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0043
Justia Opinion Summary: Thaddas Nundra was convicted of murder and many other serious charges related to the 2017 shooting death of Herbert Moore. On appeal, he argued the trial court made four key errors, and the cumulative effect of those…
Date: March 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0053
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2017, Malik Taylor was the driver in a drive-by shooting in which one of his passengers, Jyleel Solomon, was killed by return fire. Taylor was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the…
Date: March 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0110
Justia Opinion Summary: Roden Meadows appealed his convictions for murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony arising from the 2018 fatal shooting of Jason Williams. On appeal, Meadows contended…
Date: March 15, 2023
Docket Number: S21Z0595
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission (“JQC”) Hearing Panel recommended to remove Judge Christian Coomer from his seat on the Court of Appeals. In late 2020, the JQC brought formal charges against Judge Coomer.…
Date: March 15, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0964
Justia Opinion Summary: Garry Johnson was convicted of malice murder and robbery in connection with the 1997 killing of Irene Shields. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus a consecutive 20-year term.…
Date: March 15, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22A1060, S22X1061
Justia Opinion Summary: Fifteen-year-old Tia McGee was sexually assaulted by an employee working at a behavioral health facility operated by the Devereux Foundation ("Devereux"). At trial, Devereux admitted that “Devereux breached the legal…
Date: March 15, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22A1243, S22A1244
Date: March 15, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22A1243, S22A1244
Justia Opinion Summary: In November of 2020, the people of Georgia, through the results of a ballot question posed in the general election, amended the State Constitution to allow for a specific waiver of sovereign immunity. This new waiver…
Date: March 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1116
Justia Opinion Summary: Steven Monroe appealed his convictions for malice murder and related offenses arising out of the 2014 shooting death of Clayton Cross and aggravated assaults of Kenneth Minson, Darius Minson, Willie Calhoun, Muhammad…
Date: March 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0061
Justia Opinion Summary: Twice previously, Dennis Allaben appealed his conviction for malice murder arising from the strangulation death of his wife, Maureen. On each appeal, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed the conviction and remanded the…
Date: March 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0144
Justia Opinion Summary: Israel Timothy Williams 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 Brandon Colson. Williams challenged the sufficiency of…
Date: March 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0326
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Larry Hood challenged a superior court’s order denying his motion to withdraw his guilty plea to malice murder and other crimes in connection with the death of Angela Ritter Davis. Hood claimed his plea was not…
Date: March 7, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0377
Justia Opinion Summary: Edward Behl was convicted by jury for felony murder and a weapons charge stemming from the 2017 death of Joseph Billings, a fellow resident of a homeless encampment. Behl argued for a new trial on the grounds that: (1)…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0893
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jonathan Evans challenged his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Jamirus Wright and the non-fatal shooting of Brandon Martin. Appellant’s only claim on…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0967
Justia Opinion Summary: The State appealed the grant of defendant Roceam Wilson’s motion to suppress. Wilson was indicted for, among other things, murder in connection with the shooting death of Bradly Jordan. The State contended the trial…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1003
Justia Opinion Summary: Jeremy Taylor was convicted by jury of the malice murder of Eric Bolar and the aggravated battery of Seaborn Roberts. Taylor raised five claims of error on appeal: that (1) the trial court abused its discretion by…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1080
Justia Opinion Summary: Fred Charles appealed his convictions for malice murder and related offenses in connection with the July 2015 shooting death of Stephanie Daniel. Charles argued: (1) the trial evidence was insufficient to support his…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1166
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jaquest Norris challenged his 2018 convictions for felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the beating death of a child, eight-month-old Monte Jones. Norris contended the…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1303
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Robert Gonzales challenged his convictions for aggravated battery and felony murder, predicated on cruelty to children in the first degree, in connection with the death of three-year-old Samuel Carroll, the son…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1328
Justia Opinion Summary: After Marina Middlebrooks pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges arising from the stabbing death of her daughter, Sky Allen, a jury found Middlebrooks guilty of murder and cruelty to children in the first…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0030
Justia Opinion Summary: A resort community in North Georgia included a golf course next to a subdivision. The current owner of the resort wanted to redevelop the golf course into a residential property, and several homeowners in the subdivision…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0303
Justia Opinion Summary: In February 2014, a grand jury indicted Logan Bowman for crimes against his daughter. At the next term of court, Bowman properly invoked his right to a speedy trial pursuant to the Georgia speedy trial statute, OCGA §…
Date: February 21, 2023
Docket Number: S23A0054
Justia Opinion Summary: Chad Haufler was convicted by jury in 2021 of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Marc Dimos. On appeal, Haufler argued the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury on…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0836
Justia Opinion Summary: Antonio Williams 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 Martrell Gay. On appeal, Williams argued: (1) the trial court…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0837
Justia Opinion Summary: Camden County, Georgia appealed a superior court's denial of its “Petition for Writ of Prohibition and Other Relief” concerning an order entered by Camden County Probate Judge Robert Sweatt, Jr., setting a special…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0885
Justia Opinion Summary: Antonio Wilson was convicted of felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Tre Griffin. On appeal, he contended: (1) the evidence was not sufficient to support his conviction for conspiracy to purchase…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0916
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Israel Rutland was convicted of felony murder in connection with the deaths of Kelly Prescott and Matthew Horton resulting from a vehicular collision following a high-speed police chase. On appeal, Appellant…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Numbers: S22A1175, S22A0939
Justia Opinion Summary: After a joint trial, Darnell Sillah and Andrew Murray were convicted of malice murder for the shooting death of Paul Sampleton, Jr., as well as various other crimes. On appeal, Sillah, a juvenile at the time when…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0962
Justia Opinion Summary: After successive jury trials in November 2017 and February 2018, Appellant Broderick Allen was acquitted of participation in criminal street gang activity, but convicted of malice murder and related offenses in…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0970
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Thomas McCoy was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2003 attempted burglary and shooting death of Theodore Barber, as well as theft by receiving of Tony Smith’s SUV. On appeal,…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1223
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Desmond Jackson was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 fatal shooting of Heather Smith, the shooting of Quantavious Banks, and the aggravated assault of Kendaishia…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1266
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jazzy Huff was convicted of felony murder and related offenses in connection with the August 2019 shooting death of Zenas Lee Davis. On appeal, Appellant contended: (1) insufficient evidence supported his…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1316
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Rucker, Jr. was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with a 2014 home invasion and armed robbery which resulted in the death of Tommy Lee Finch, Jr. and serious injuries to Zaccarie…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0405
Justia Opinion Summary: Diane Dickens Hamon filed a medical malpractice action against William Connell, M.D., and South Georgia Emergency Medicine Associates, P.C. (collectively “Appellees”), for the wrongful death of her father, James Dickens,…
Date: February 7, 2023
Docket Number: S22G0593
Justia Opinion Summary: Jerry Arroyo was charged with trafficking cocaine. He filed a pretrial motion to suppress evidence obtained pursuant to a search warrant for his apartment, arguing the warrant was not supported by probable cause because…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0870
Justia Opinion Summary: Michelle Hightower was charged with malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Michael McGee. Hightower’s trial on these charges began March 9, 2020, and four days later, on March 13,…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0891
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Kenney was convicted by jury of malice murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Laquitta Brown. Before trial, Kenney moved in limine to exclude hearsay statements that Sharrie Dixon, a…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0950
Justia Opinion Summary: William Clark was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Anthony King and the aggravated assault of Anthony Davis. In his appeal, Clark contended: (1) the evidence presented…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A0979
Justia Opinion Summary: A trial court granted Jeremiah Kelly's motion for a new trial, but gave the State an opportunity to request a rehearing within 30 days. The State filed such a request within that time, but did so after the expiration of…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1081
Justia Opinion Summary: Kentrick Ridley was convicted of malice murder and related crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Rico Bynum. On appeal, Ridley contended: (1) the evidence was not sufficient as a matter of due process to…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1117
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Walter Wright challenged his conviction for felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Oletha Brady. Appellant contended: (1) the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction; (2)…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1204
Justia Opinion Summary: Donovan Gay received a speeding ticket and to which he pled not guilty. While his case was pending, he filed a pretrial petition for habeas corpus to challenge pretrial restrictions on his driving privileges. The habeas…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1215
Justia Opinion Summary: Justin Whited was convicted of felony murder, aggravated battery, and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the death of his seven-week old daughter, Dinah Whited. On appeal, Whited argued that: (1)…
Date: January 18, 2023
Docket Number: S22A1302
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gregory Montgomery challenged his 2019 convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Justuss Rogers. Appellant argued the trial court erred in its recharge to the jury…
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