WEEMS v. STATE
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In Fulton County, Georgia, Rufus Weems was convicted for two counts of malice murder and other crimes related to the deaths of Christopher Welch and Chloe Dowdy. On appeal to the Supreme Court of Georgia, Weems challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions, the denial of his motion for a new trial, and the trial court's refusal to allow a witness to testify remotely. He also claimed the trial court made an improper comment on the evidence.
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Weems's convictions. The Court found that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support Weems's convictions, including the defendant's familiarity with one of the victims, the location of the victims' bodies, and the defendant's departure from the scene after the shooting. The Court rejected Weems's alternative hypothesis that another person was the shooter, finding it unreasonable based on the evidence presented.
The Court also held that the trial court did not err in denying Weems's motion for a new trial. The Court ruled that the trial court correctly applied the standard for granting a new trial and that its decision was not subject to review by the Supreme Court.
Regarding the refusal to allow a witness to testify remotely, the Court found that the trial court was required to sustain the State's objection under the relevant Superior Court rule. Lastly, the Court found that the trial court's repetition of a witness's testimony while ruling on an objection did not constitute an improper comment on the evidence. As such, the Court affirmed Weems's convictions.
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