Supreme Court of Georgia Decisions 2017
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1350
Justia Opinion Summary: Thyrell Donaldson was tried by jury and convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, all in connection with the 2015 shooting death…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1352
Justia Opinion Summary: Carlo Simpson was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in relation to the 2013 shooting death of Shakhira Dunson. Simpson and Dunson had a child together; when she ended the relationship, testimony at trial…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1363
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Malcolm Muckle was convicted of felony murder in connection with the 2012 shooting death of his accomplice in an attempted armed robbery, Travis Callaway. On appeal, he argued the evidence at his trial was…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1385
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Lawrence Womac appealed his convictions and sentences for aggravated sexual battery, child molestation, cruelty to children in the first degree, and false imprisonment. On appeal, Womac argued, among other…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1412
Justia Opinion Summary: James Carter was tried by jury and convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2011 shooting death of Chandler Johnson. Carter appealed, contending: (1) the evidence was legally insufficient to…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A1475, S17A1476
Justia Opinion Summary: Bernard Dixon and Arrick Camps were tried by jury and found guilty of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Robert Carr. They appealed, both contending the trial court erred when it…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1490
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Orlando Smith was convicted of felony murder and related offenses in connection with the 2010 shooting death of Demetra Smith . On appeal, Smith argued: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1519
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Paul Manner was convicted of malice murder and related offenses in connection with the 2013 shooting death of Tracey Kingcannon. On appeal, Manner contended his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1539
Justia Opinion Summary: Frank Bozzie was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2013 death of Richard Morgan. Bozzie appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to support his malice murder conviction, the trial…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1682
Justia Opinion Summary: Wife and Husband were divorced in 1995; the final decree of divorce incorporated a settlement agreement that provided for child support and at least half of his Armed Services retirement pay monthly. The child support…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1757
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Herman Smith appealed his convictions for felony murder while in the commission of aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1912
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury convicted Donnie Forte of murder and kidnapping (amongst other crimes). He appealed, arguing the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to sustain his convictions. Furthermore, Forte argued the trial court…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0118
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found Randall Jones guilty of bringing stolen property into the State of Georgia and theft by conversion of the same property. The Court of Appeals rejected Jones’ claim that the two verdicts were mutually…
Date: December 11, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0429
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, Patrick Edokpolor and Linda Iyahea filed a lawsuit against Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation for the wrongful death of their decedent, Rose Edokpolor. Grady failed to waive formal service of process, and in…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1463
Justia Opinion Summary: E. Kendrick Smith, an Atlanta lawyer, brought this action to compel a corporation, Northside Hospital, Inc. and its parent company, Northside Health Services, Inc., (collectively, “Northside”), to provide him with access…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0711
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Davoris Hodges was found guilty by jury of two counts of felony murder, armed robbery, and two counts of aggravated assault related to the shooting death of Khristal Wright, a Johnson County deputy sheriff. He…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0935
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found appellant Eric Thompson guilty of two counts of malice murder in connection with the deaths of Andre Geddis and Melody Keller. On appeal, Thompson contended the trial court erred by admitting certain…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0989
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jelani Asim Anthony was convicted of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. On appeal, Anthony contended the trial court erred by: (1) refusing to suppress an identification…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1140
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Diversified Holdings, LLP (“Diversified”) and the City of Suwanee (“the City”) were involved in a zoning dispute regarding the status of 30 acres of undeveloped land located in the City (“Property”). On the…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1265
Justia Opinion Summary: Mye Brindle worked as a housekeeper and personal assistant to Joe Rogers, who was married. During her employment with Rogers, the two became involved sexually. In June 2012, Brindle hired attorneys David Cohen and John…
Date: November 2, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A1291, S17A1292, S17A1293
Justia Opinion Summary: This Court granted applications for certificates of probable cause from Mark Jason Jones, Kenneth Eric Gardiner, and Dominic Brian Lucci to appeal the denials of their petitions for writs of habeas corpus. Jones,…
Date: October 31, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0948
Justia Opinion Summary: Lisa Lebis was convicted by jury of murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of a police officer. On appeal, she argued the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict with regard to a number of counts…
Date: October 31, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1314
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal arose from an order modifying an existing interlocutory injunction. In December 2016, appellee Peach Trader Inc., d/b/a A City Discount and A City Discount, Inc. (“Peach Trader”), filed a complaint against…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0683
Justia Opinion Summary: Thomas McBee and his wife Mary (the “McBees”) and Aspire at West Midtown Apartments, L.P. (“Aspire”) were adjoining landowners. The McBees claimed title by prescription to a rectangular strip of land measuring about 24…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0754
Justia Opinion Summary: Matthew Benton was convicted by jury of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Christopher “Black Magic” Ramsay and the wounding of several others. Benton’s motion for a new trial was…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0765
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Georgia Trust Bank secured a judgment against Virgil Lovell for $1.2 million. The next year, Georgia Trust failed, and its assets went into receivership with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0788
Justia Opinion Summary: This case presented challenges to a municipal zoning ordinance. Because the property owners abandoned their claim that the ordinance was unconstitutionally enacted and did not show that it was unconstitutionally vague as…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0828
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Matthew Pierce was tried by jury and found guilty on six counts of aggravated child molestation, two counts of child molestation, two counts of sexual battery, and one count each of sexual exploitation of a…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1036
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brodrick Williams was convicted of malice murder, armed robbery, and a firearm offense in connection with the shooting death of Daniel McGee. Appellant appealed, arguing: (1) the evidence presented at trial was…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1046
Justia Opinion Summary: Georgia appealed a habeas court’s order granting relief to appellee Thomas Addaquay on the ground that his plea counsel was constitutionally ineffective in incorrectly advising him of the immigration consequences of his…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1059
Justia Opinion Summary: Defendants Elgerie Mary Cash and Jennifer Michelle Weathington were tried jointly before a jury in October 2013 and found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1085
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, appellees Brenton Jefferson, his brother Santez Jefferson, Demarcus Cawthorne, Jamal Arnold, and Lee Davis were charged with, among other things, attempted murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, and violations…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1125
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff RES-GA McDonough LLC (“RES-GA”) brought a legal malpractice action against Taylor English Duma LLP and two of its attorneys (collectively, “Taylor English”). RES-GA contended that Taylor English failed to…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1135
Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose out of a divorce settlement agreement between Anita and Benjamin Howard. After the final divorce decree was issued on April 28, 2016, Wife filed a petition for contempt against Husband, alleging that he…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1141
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Ahmad Brown challenged his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Deonta Moore. Appellant contended on appeal that he was denied the effective assistance of…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1216
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Temon Williams was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the October 2012 stabbing death of Shawn Doughty. Williams appealed, asserting insufficiency of the evidence, erroneous…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1298
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Marlon Jones appealed his convictions stemming from the death of his daughter Jania Parker-Jones. Appellant argued on appeal the evidence was insufficient to convict, his trial counsel rendered constitutionally…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1305
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved a dispute among the children of decedent Dorothy Rita Beam concerning the distribution of her estate. Decedent’s daughter, Dorothy Marian Meadows (“Marian”), filed a petition to probate Decedent’s 2014…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0985
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Leland Lutz (“Husband”) appeals the final judgment and decree of divorce, as well as the trial court’s order granting attorney’s fees to appellee Deborah Lutz (“Wife”). After review, the Georgia Supreme Court…
Date: October 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0057
Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns a small grocery store on Allgood Road in Marietta and, specifically the parcel of land on which that store sat. Ray Summerour owned the land for nearly three decades; the City of Marietta wanted to…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0738
Justia Opinion Summary: This case calls for the Georgia Supreme Court to decide whether Georgia’s state constitutional protection prohibited law enforcement from compelling a person suspected of DUI to blow their deep lung air into a…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0767
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2014, after approximately three years of marriage, Appellant David Patton filed a complaint for divorce against Appellee Jocelyn Vanterpool, M.D. During the pendency of the divorce, the parties consented to…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0782
Justia Opinion Summary: Gregory and Adam Piccione (“the Picciones”), grandchildren of testator Virginia Arp (“Virginia”) and children of Donna Piccione (“Donna”), appealed the superior court’s denial of their motion for summary judgment in this…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0858
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found appellant Delron Glenn guilty of malice murder in connection with the shooting death of John Tanner. Glenn appealed, arguing: (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion in limine to prevent lay witness…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0924
Justia Opinion Summary: Kammerer Real Estate Holdings, LLC owned a lot on which it wanted to construct an automotive service facility. Kammerer applied for a site development permit. The lot was subject to a zoning condition under the Forsyth…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1014
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Robert Olsen was formerly a police officer who was indicted for felony murder and other charges related to the shooting death of an unarmed suspect. The shooting occurred when Olsen responded to a suspicious…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1020
Justia Opinion Summary: Stephen Fazio was convicted after a bench trial of driving under the influence of alcohol to the extent it was less safe to do so, and driving with an unlawful blood alcohol concentration. He appealed, arguing the trial…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1023
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1064
Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose from “a long-running battle” that appellant Richard Shelley waged against the Town of Tyrone’s zoning ordinances. Because Shelley failed to exhaust his administrative remedies before seeking relief in the…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1079
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers and several of its members, private process servers, (collectively, “the Association”) filed this action seeking mandamus, declaratory judgment, and injunctive…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1083
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Wardell White entered guilty pleas to felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting deaths of Victor Martinez and Mauricio Maldonado, and the trial court entered judgments of conviction and…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1108
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a bench trial, appellant William Wimberly was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, in the 2014 death of Christopher Strickland. He…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1127
Justia Opinion Summary: A grand jury indicted appellant Juan Cannon for crimes relating to victim Terrence Wiggins being stabbed in the neck because appellant believed Wiggins owed him money. The record showed the stabbing took place in a…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1153
Justia Opinion Summary: Nehemiah Anglin appealed his conviction for felony murder and marijuana possession following the death of Damion Wright. Anglin argued the trial court erred by admitting: (1) testimony that he put a “hit” on the State’s…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1164
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Lewis Parks a/k/a Harris appeals his convictions related to the 2010 death of Lyndon “Pookie” Tucker. Appellant’s sole enumeration of error is that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of the crimes for…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1317
Justia Opinion Summary: Women’s Surgical Center, LLC d/b/a Georgia Advanced Surgery Center for Women (the “Center”) planned to add a second operating room to its premises in order to create opportunities to form contracts with additional…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0038
Justia Opinion Summary: The issue before the Georgia Supreme Court in this case was whether an employer has to show the availability of suitable employment to justify suspension of workers’ compensation benefits after already establishing that…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0091
Justia Opinion Summary: In May 2007, the Medical Center Hospital Authority (“Hospital Authority”) filed an action against the Columbus Board of Tax Assessors and related parties (together, “the Tax Board”) in which it sought a declaration that…
Date: October 16, 2017
Docket Number: S17G1491
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the death of Ben Everson, his parents sued Brian Jordan, the emergency room physician who attended to Ben two days before his death. Jordan’s motion for summary judgment was denied by the trial court, and he…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1751
Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, appellant Mellecia Spencer was convicted of one count of driving under the influence of alcohol (less safe) and one count of possession of an open container. She appealed the judgment of conviction…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0688
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted discretionary appeal to Lori Provenzano (Wife) to consider whether the trial court erred in its ruling on the petition to modify alimony filed by Forrest Jones (Husband) pursuant to…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0700, S17A0701
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2001 Appellant Danny Deloney pled guilty to the felony murder of his six-year-old daughter, Porsha, and numerous other crimes. For this, he received the death penalty. Fourteen years later, Deloney filed a motion for…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0764
Justia Opinion Summary: Derrick Williams appealed the denial of his motion for a new trial following his conviction for malice murder for the death of his wife, Finesse Dawson. Williams argued the trial court erred by: (1) excluding evidence…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0873
Justia Opinion Summary: The State appealed a trial court’s order granting Nathaniel Wilkins’ pretrial motion in limine to exclude incriminating statements made by his co-defendant Michael Jones with regard to a 2013 double murder. Wilkins and…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0949
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Darius Davis appealed his convictions and sentences for malice murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0967
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Misty Sunshine Moran appealed her convictions malice murder, felony murder (attempt to rob), felony murder (aggravated assault), criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime,…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0984
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dennis Hampton was found guilty of malice murder and other related crimes in connection with the shooting death of Takilam Terrell. The charges arose from an altercation outside a Cobb County bar in 2013. On…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0993
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Isaiah Blackmon challenges his convictions for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Edward Cobb and the aggravated assault of Stanton Gilliam. The charges arose from an…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1033
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Mark Taylor appealed his convictions related to the 2012 death of Charles Weaver. Appellant entered the parking lot of a car dealership and saw a truck that had its engine running and the lights on. Seeing no…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1040
Justia Opinion Summary: David Freeman was found guilty by jury on one count of disorderly conduct, pursuant to OCGA 16-11-39(a)(1). Freeman attended a church service, whereby instead of praying for teachers and students for a successful start…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1105
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found Craig Johnson guilty of malice murder and other crimes related to the 2008 stabbing death of Nicole Judge. All of the original verbatim trial transcript materials were later destroyed in a fire at the court…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1126
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant D’Andre Carter was convicted of malice murder and associated crimes in connection with the 2013 shooting death of Dequavious Reed. On appeal, Carter argued: (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1170
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Luther Smith, Jr. was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the February 2007 death of fifteen-month-old Deandra Turner. Smith appealed, arguing the evidence presented against him at…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1177
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, Andray Faust appealed his convictions for felony murder while in the commission of an aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1290
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Demetrius McNeal was tried by jury and found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and…
Date: October 2, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1302
Justia Opinion Summary: The parties to this appeal were an unmarried couple. Appellant Adam Vargo purchased the real property in which the parties formerly resided in his own name as sole owner, and executed a purchase money mortgage on it.…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0718
Justia Opinion Summary: Tyshawn Roscoe was convicted by jury of malice murder and various other offenses in connection with the shooting death of John Douglas. On appeal, Roscoe argued, among other things, that the evidence presented at trial…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0720
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the revocation of a will due to after-born children of the testator. The probate court determined the will did not contemplate the birth of future children, and therefore their birth revoked the will.…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0721
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury acquitted Jeremy Scott of malice murder in the shooting death of Dexter Holliday, but found him guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, and possession of a…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0762
Justia Opinion Summary: Rhonda Bennett (f/k/a Donley) filed an amended motion for new trial following a habeas court order discharging the payment of restitution and any arrearage for back child support by the purported biological father of…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0769
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Thomas Houston appealed after a trial court denied his motion for an out-of-time appeal of his 2008 convictions by guilty pleas to two murders and numerous other crimes in connection with a series of home…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0799
Justia Opinion Summary: The parties were divorced in Connecticut in 2010. At that time, appellant Husband’s child support obligation was $279 per week for the parties’ two minor children. A Connecticut court modified the support order to…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0806
Justia Opinion Summary: Jermaine Revere was convicted by jury of murder and various other offenses in connection with the stabbing death of Angelo Patterson. In his sole enumeration on appeal, Revere argued he received ineffective assistance of…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0822
Justia Opinion Summary: Willie Dublin appealed his convictions for felony murder and other crimes stemming from the fatal shooting of Terry Slack during an attempted robbery. He argued he received ineffective assistance of counsel claim based…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0880
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Patrick O’Connor appealed the grant of summary judgment to Appellees Fulton County and its County Manager, Richard Anderson, on his claims for breach of contract, mandamus relief, and attorney fees. O’Connor…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0894
Justia Opinion Summary: James Anderson was found guilty of felony murder and other crimes arising out of the shooting death of Franklin Burch. Appellant argued the trial court erred in denying his motion for new trial because during voir dire…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0901
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Maurilio Martinez appealed his convictions for the rape and murder of Joy Morris. Appellant argued on appeal: (1) the evidence was insufficient to convict him of rape; (2) trial counsel was ineffective when he…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0931, S17A0932
Justia Opinion Summary: In case number S17A0931, Demetrius Daniels appealed his convictions and sentences for felony murder, violations of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0950
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Charles Wilson was convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Jesse Howard. Wilson appealed, asserting various errors in the adjudication of his motion for new trial,…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0966
Justia Opinion Summary: Husband Ricky Lockamy and Wife Margie Lockamy were divorced in 2009 pursuant to a final decree that incorporated the parties’ settlement agreement. The settlement agreement provided that Wife would receive 40% of…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1004
Justia Opinion Summary: In an election contest for a seat on the Baker County Board of Education, the Georgia Supreme Court granted the application for interlocutory appeal filed by Brendette Williams, who challenged the trial court’s denial of…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1041
Justia Opinion Summary: Joseph Arnold was convicted by jury of the murder of Gerald Osborne and the unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Arnold appealed, contending: (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1101
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Miller was tried by jury and convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Shawnita. Miller appealed, arguing that an error in the poll of the jury required his convictions be set…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1145
Justia Opinion Summary: Al Neeley was convicted by jury of malice murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, all relating to the shooting death of Shelton Brooks. His amended motion for a new trial was denied, and he…
Date: September 13, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17Y1499, S17Y1502, S17Y1623
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1700
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved the expulsion of then-high school student S.G. by the Henry County Board of Education (“Local Board”) as discipline for fighting on school grounds in violation of the student handbook. Specifically,…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0693
Justia Opinion Summary: Rodney McCarthy appealed a trial court’s order denying his request for an out-of-time appeal. In 1999, McCarthy, represented by retained counsel, was convicted of malice murder, possession of a firearm during commission…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0709
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Shamell Stroud was convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the 2010 stabbing death of Wayne Jackson. Stroud appealed, contending that the evidence was insufficient to support his…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0891
Justia Opinion Summary: The State appealed after DeCarlos Butler was granted habeas relief on grounds that he received ineffective assistance of plea counsel. In 2010, Butler was indicted on one count of aggravated assault arising out of an…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0895
Justia Opinion Summary: Erwin Brewer was convicted by jury for the murder of Larry Strickland and related crimes. He appealed, contending that the trial court erred by denying a motion for mistrial and that he received ineffective assistance of…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0929
Justia Opinion Summary: Ryan Edwards was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the death of his 13-month old child. Edwards appealed, arguing the trial court: (1) erred in granting the State’s challenge to his use of…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0954
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Deron Williams was convicted of malice murder and related offenses in connection with the bludgeoning death of Decarla Lomax. On appeal, Williams argued: (1) the trial court erroneously admitted the record of…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0962
Justia Opinion Summary: Thomas Hourin appealed a trial court’s denial of his pre-trial motions. Hourin, the non-physician owner of a medical clinic, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit the offense of unauthorized distribution and…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0974
Justia Opinion Summary: In September 2014, a grand jury indicted David Keener as following three separate physical altercations with three different victims: count one, felony murder predicated on aggravated battery (Randall Huling); count two,…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1024
Justia Opinion Summary: Leshan Tanner appealed his convictions for felony murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and attempt to purchase marijuana all in connection with the fatal shooting of Cedric Huff. He challenged the admission into…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1104
Justia Opinion Summary: Cornelius Richardson-Bethea appealed her convictions for malice murder and abuse of a disabled adult arising out of the death of Susan Walter, a woman with an intellectual disability who lived in Appellant’s home.…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1128
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Rodney Jackson was tried by jury and convicted of murder and two related firearms charges. He appealed, asserting that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions and that he was denied the…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1146
Justia Opinion Summary: Earl Crump was tried by jury and found guilty of murder and various other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Simon Riley. In his sole enumeration on appeal, Crump contended that he received ineffective…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1150
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Otis Bennett was convicted by jury of malice murder, and multiple counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the first degree, and aggravated battery, in the death of his girlfriend’s…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1171
Justia Opinion Summary: Willie Jackson was convicted by jury of the murder of his sister, Willie Mae Jackson. He was also convicted of possessing a knife during the conviction of a felony. On appeal, he argued he contended the trial court erred…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1313
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Eugene Leslie was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Jason Glenn Wade. On appeal, Leslie argued the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0141
Justia Opinion Summary: Icon Technology Consulting, Inc. (“Icon”) filed suit seeking to enforce a default judgment it obtained from a Missouri court against Lemcon USA Corp. (“Lemcon”). A Georgia trial court rejected Lemcon’s attempt to set…
Date: August 28, 2017
Docket Number: S17G1202
Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner pled guilty to computer and electronic exploitation charges, for which he received a twenty-year sentence in prison, with eighteen to serve. He applied for habeas relief, challenging the voluntariness of his…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0702
Justia Opinion Summary: DeSean Graham was tried by jury, and convicted for the murder of Carlos Daniels and the unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Graham appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0705
Justia Opinion Summary: Delroy Booth was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2007 death of Shantle Vason. Booth appealed, arguing the trial court erred by: (1) reading the indictment to a competency jury; (2)…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0708
Justia Opinion Summary: Dontavious Wilson was convicted by jury for the murder of Jack Camp, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and related crimes. He appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0747
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Morris was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Sidon James. He appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions and that…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0768
Justia Opinion Summary: Kevin Johnson was convicted by jury on all eight counts of an indictment filed in connection with the death of two-year-old Melanie Haynes. Johnson contends that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support his…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0783
Justia Opinion Summary: Joseph Williams was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2013 shooting death of Adiren Thompson. Williams appealed, arguing the trial court erred in: (1) denying his motion to shuffle the…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0818, S17A0819
Justia Opinion Summary: Horace Coleman and Quantez Mallory were tried jointly by jury and convicted of malice murder in connection with the beating death of Bobby Tillman. Coleman and Mallory each filed separate appeals, which were consolidated…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0826
Justia Opinion Summary: Jessica Brown appealed her conviction for malice murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Joshua Gallimore. She challenged the sufficiency of the evidence and the effectiveness of her trial counsel, and argued the…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0886
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Marcus Payne was tried by jury and found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, possession of…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0919
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Curtis Kuhn was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of his step-father, Robert Donald “Don” May II. On appeal, Kuhn argued the evidence was insufficient to…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0937
Justia Opinion Summary: In the first time the Georgia Supreme Court considered this case, it affirmed in part appellant’s convictions for murder and aggravated assault. The Court vacated in part for the trial court to correct a sentencing error…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0982
Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Rice pled guilty to felony murder in connection with the shooting death of James Abney, Jr. Rice appealed, claiming the trial court erred when it denied his motion to withdraw his plea. Rice also argued he was…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1065
Justia Opinion Summary: Acting pro se, Marshae Brooks appealed the trial court’s denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea to murder and other charges, denial of his motion for an out-of-time appeal of his convictions, and denial of his…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1103
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brian Brewner was convicted of murder and numerous other crimes in connection with a 2014 home invasion in which victim Adam Schrier was shot and killed and two other victims were injured. Brewner appealed,…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1129
Justia Opinion Summary: Jordan Coleman was convicted by jury for the malice murder of Alvin Hall and related crimes. He appealed, arguing among other things, that there was insufficient evidence of venue and that he received ineffective…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1143
Justia Opinion Summary: Devasko Lewis was found guilty of malice murder and other crimes arising out of the 2014 shooting death of Kerry Glenn following a botched murder-for-hire scheme. Lewis challenged the sufficiency of the evidence to…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1175
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dominique Stuckey was convicted of malice murder and first-degree arson after he killed his grandmother, Velma Stuckey, and set her and her house on fire. In this appeal, he claimed his trial counsel provided…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1266
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Valentino Jackson was convicted of felony murder and associated crimes in connection with the shooting death of Willie Bailey. On appeal, Jackson argued the State engaged in prosecutorial misconduct during…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1326
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Terry filed a pro se out-of-time appeal of his conviction for multiple charges involving the murder of his wife, Juanita Terry. Terry shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself. The…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A1714, S17A1301
Justia Opinion Summary: Co-defendants Marcus Battle and Jacobey Carter appealed their convictions and sentences for malice murder and felony murder, respectively, and multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17F1231
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant-husband James Flesch and appellee-wife Debbie Flesch were divorced by decree of divorce following a bench trial. The Georgia Supreme Court granted Husband’s discretionary application to address whether the…
Date: August 14, 2017
Docket Number: S17G0107
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Desmond Daniel was convicted by jury of burglary after he was caught attempting to enter a house by removing a back door’s hinges. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s order denying Daniel’s motion…
Date: June 30, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1703
Justia Opinion Summary: The Roswell City Council enacted a new Unified Development Code to govern land use issues; the Code included a zoning map. Several Roswell property owners filed a lawsuit to challenge the process by which the City…
Date: June 30, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16Y1235, S16Y1236, S16Y1237, S16Y1238, S16Y1239
Date: June 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0076
Justia Opinion Summary: Clayton County appealed the trial court’s order denying its motion for judgment on the pleadings and granting the motion for partial summary judgment filed by the City ofCollege Park. This dispute arose over the taxation…
Date: June 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0803
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal stemmed from a trial court order quieting title in favor of TDGA, LLC. Appellant Peter Mancuso argued, inter alia, that he did not receive proper notice from TDGA regarding the foreclosure of his right of…
Date: June 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A1152
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, a grand jury indicted Appellant Brandon Davis for malice murder and felony murder predicated on aggravated assault in connection with the April 2013 stabbing death of Chassity Lester. Pursuant to a negotiated…
Date: June 26, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0890
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Jones was tried, convicted and sentenced for driving under the influence. He appealed on the ground that evidence of a prior DUI conviction was wrongfully admitted at trial. At the core of the dispute…
Date: June 26, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0177, S17X0178.
Justia Opinion Summary: Consolidated appeals arose out of a complaint filed by four Georgia taxpayers in which they challenged the constitutionality of Georgia’s Qualified Education Tax Credit, Ga. L. 2008, p. 1108, as amended (“HB 1133” or the…
Date: June 26, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0459
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Quinton Mitchell appealed the denial of his motion to suppress and his motions in limine. Mitchell was charged with driving under the influence (less safe) and failure to maintain lane. Because the trial court…
Date: June 26, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0524
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Windy Scott challenged her convictions for malice murder and a gun crime in connection with the shooting death of William Scott. Appellant claimed she was denied the effective assistance of counsel for her…
Date: June 26, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0613
Justia Opinion Summary: In a post-divorce contempt action, the Georgia Supreme Court granted Appellant’s application for discretionary appeal to review the trial court’s order finding Appellant in contempt of three separate provisions of the…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1452
Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerned OCGA 36-11-1 and a split of opinions in two controlling case law precedents decided by the Georgia court of Appeals. In In re Estate of Leonard, 783 SEd2 470 (2016), Joe Leonard, Jr. allegedly…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1498
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari to the Court of Appeals in this matter to determine whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming Robert Heatherly’s misdemeanor conviction. Heatherly and Donald Lewis…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0082
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2006, Kenneth Berzett pled guilty to child molestation, and in 2009, the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board classified him as a sexually dangerous predator. Berzett petitioned the superior court for judicial…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0176
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Hunter Mason Davis was tried before a jury and found guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the shooting death of Angelo…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0196
Justia Opinion Summary: The constitutional doctrine of sovereign immunity forbids Georgia courts to entertain a lawsuit against the State without its consent. This case began in 2012, not long after the adoption of House Bill 954, which…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0265, S17A0266
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Margarita Gomez and Alejandro Huitron challenged their convictions for felony murder and other crimes related to injuries to and the resulting death of their three-year-old daughter, Esmerelda. The Georgia…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0310
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Joe Lee Waye appealed the denial of his amended motion for out of-time appeal of his conviction and sentence on his plea of guilty to malice murder. In 1996, Waye entered a negotiated plea under which he pled…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0327
Justia Opinion Summary: Lowell and Janice Register were shareholders of Register Communications, Inc. Green Bull Georgia Partners, LLC threatened to foreclose on property that had been pledged to secure the debts of Register Communications. The…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0364
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found appellant Stephen Bailey guilty but mentally ill on all thirteen counts of an indictment filed in connection with the stabbing deaths of Ursula Peterson and her adult daughter Dominique Martin, who were his…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0385
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gregory Walker, Jr. was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Roger Clark. He contended on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions;…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0405, S17A1163
Justia Opinion Summary: The Stuttering Foundation, Inc. (“Foundation”) leased office space in a commercial development in Glynn County owned by Lucas Properties Holdings III, LLC (“Lucas”). In 2015, Lucas filed an application for rezoning of…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0542, S17A0543
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Travon Menefee and Christian Williams appealed their convictions for malice murder and related crimes stemming from a “drug deal gone bad” which resulted in the death of Antonias Williams (no relation to…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0611
Justia Opinion Summary: Jerrick Atkinson was tried by jury and found guilty of malice murder, aggravated assault, attempted armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and various other offenses in connection with the shooting…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0615
Justia Opinion Summary: Prisoner Jomeka Pope appealed pro se an order denying his “motion to vacate a void and illegal sentence,” “motion to withdraw Alford (guilty) plea,” and “motion for appointment of counsel.” Pope contended that his…
Date: June 19, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0576
Justia Opinion Summary: Wife Tracy Hardin was granted a discretionary appeal of the grant of partial summary judgment to Husband John Hardin in this divorce case. The issue on appeal was whether the trial court erred in concluding as a matter…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0743
Justia Opinion Summary: Joshua Martin sustained life-changing injuries in a brutal attack at a bus stop outside the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in 2007. A jury determined that Six Flags was liable for those injuries, along with the…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1723
Justia Opinion Summary: In February 2010, Marion Hayes was charged with burglary, aggravated assault, possession of tools for commission of a crime, and obstruction of a police officer. The State filed notice of its intention to seek recidivist…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0139
Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found appellant Dale El Smith guilty of felony murder and two counts of cruelty to a person age 65 or older in connection with the 2014 death of Arthur Pelham. On appeal, Smith argued there was insufficient…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0430
Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this case was the meaning of the term “motor fuel taxes” as used in the Georgia Constitution, Article III, Sec. IX, Par. IV(b). A trucking industry association and three individual motor carriers challenged…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0629
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved challenges to the City of Atlanta’s attempted annexation of five areas. Shortly after the Governor approved HB 514 on April 26, 2016, Atlanta received petitions for annexation from five unincorporated…
Date: June 5, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0593
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court remanded this matter for redistribution of the marital assets. Alina Gibson (Wife) appealed the trial court’s order granting her requested divorce from Stewart Gibson (Husband). She argued that…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1214
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Appellee Sean Elliott filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Appellants Resurgens and Dr. Tapan Daftari in the State Court of Fulton County. Elliott alleged that Dr. Daftari failed to timely diagnose and…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1337
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the suicide death of her 14-year-old daughter, Appellee Laura Lane Maia sued the mayor and city council of the City of Richmond Hill (collectively, “the City”) and Douglas Sahlberg, individually and in his…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16Y1147, S16Y1153, S16Y1154, S16Y1155
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0001
Justia Opinion Summary: This case made a second appearance before the Georgia Supreme Court. Jeffrey Sponsler (Husband) appealed the trial court’s order finding him in contempt of the final decree effectuating his divorce from April Sponsler…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0039
Justia Opinion Summary: In the course of representing criminal defendants in two cases, an attorney at the Merchant Law Firm participated in three hearings before Judge David Emerson in June and October 2015. Each of these proceedings was open…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0088
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court found no reversible after certiorari review of appellant Edward Clements, Jr.’s appeal. Appellant was convicted of the malice murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and various…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0296
Justia Opinion Summary: Samuel Steplight appealed his convictions and sentences for felony murder, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, and terroristic threats, all in connection with the 2010 death of Norma Jean Mobley.…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0313
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court found no reversible after certiorari review of appellant Benjamin Johnson’s appeal. Appellant was convicted of the 2013 murder of his brother Timothy. The trial court denied Johnson’s amended…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0357
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court concluded the State failed to provide a meritorious basis for reversal of the superior court’s grant of Olubumi Ogunsuyi’s motion for immunity from prosecution. Ogunsuyi was indicted for malice…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0388
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court found that appellant Avery Bryant’s trial counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the sufficiency of the police warrant leading to Bryant’s arrest. The warrant in question did not…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0462
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court found no reversible after certiorari review of appellant Kemra Matthews’ appeal. Appellant was convicted of the felony murder of Jadien Harvey, and the aggravated assault of Ashton Capers. On…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0483
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court found no reversible after certiorari review of appellant William Speziali’s appeal. Appellant was convicted of the 2011 malice murder of Jimmy Breedlove and related crimes. On appeal, appellant…
Date: May 30, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0656
Justia Opinion Summary: Yididya Woldemichael pleaded guilty to armed robbery and other charges for his role in the robbery and beating of a pizza delivery woman. He filed a petition for habeas corpus, which was granted on grounds that his trial…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0646
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee M7VEN Supportive Housing and Development Group (“M7”) failed to pay taxes on two properties in Carroll County, and, consequently, the Tax Commissioner conducted a tax sale. The properties were purchased by…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0888
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2004, appellant Prentiss Jackson entered a negotiated guilty plea to one count of statutory rape, registered with the sexual offender registry, and listed an address in Houston County. He was made aware of the…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0004
Justia Opinion Summary: During the 2015 General Session, the legislature amended certain statutes governing Certificates of Public Necessity and Convenience (“CPNCs,” also known as taxi medallions) and created new provisions authorizing (and…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0077
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Martin Holmes appealed his convictions from a multi-victim crime spree which included the shooting death of Rickey Gibson. Holmes was indicted for armed robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, malice murder,…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0086
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted this interlocutory appeal to address whether the former version of OCGA 16-11-37(a), Georgia’s Terroristic Threats statute, was unconstitutionally overbroad and vague. Appellant Devon…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0111
Justia Opinion Summary: Mark Adkins was convicted by jury for crimes related to the murder of Frederick Early, and the non-fatal shootings of Briona Moor and Pamphylia Baynes. Adkins appealed, arguing the trial court erred by: (1) permitting…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0209
Justia Opinion Summary: Inee Lyman appeals his convictions and sentences for malice murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, all in connection with the shooting death of…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0255
Justia Opinion Summary: Anthony Veal challenged his convictions for numerous crimes, including malice murder, committed in the course of an armed robbery. He argued the trial court erred in failing to strike for cause potential and actual…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0255
Justia Opinion Summary: Anthony Veal challenged his convictions for numerous crimes, including malice murder, committed in the course of an armed bank robbery. Veal argued that the trial court erred in failing to strike for cause potential and…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0460
Justia Opinion Summary: Jeffrey McGee appealed the denial of his motion in arrest of judgment, which McGee filed nearly fifteen years after having pled guilty to malice murder, aggravated battery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0465
Justia Opinion Summary: Otis Ricks was indicted along with three other men for murder, armed robbery, criminal street gang activity, and related crimes in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Vanessa Thrasher at a lounge in Atlanta. The…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0528
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, following an apparent series of family disputes, Dorsey “Doss” Wallace filed a complaint for accounting and damages against his brothers Gary and Phillip Wallace, alleging that they had deprived Doss of his…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0644
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Travis Rabon was tried and convicted of numerous offenses in connection with the 2008 murder of Keira Avant and the rape of a second victim. Rabon appealed, claiming three instances of trial court error: (1)…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0673
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2009, Nicholas Johnson was indicted for shooting Tremaine Cobb in a Waffle House parking lot. A jury found Johnson guilty of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault, and Johnson appealed, arguing there was…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0759
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court issued the following three questions to the parties with respect to their appeal of a child support order: (1) Did the trial court err in applying a deviation from the presumptive amount of…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0619
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted a discretionary appeal in this case to decide whether the trial court, after interviewing the parties’ two children in chambers without the parties or counsel present, erred in relying…
Date: May 15, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0674
Justia Opinion Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court granted Wife’s application for discretionary appeal in this matter to consider whether the child custody award should be vacated for the failure of the trial court to incorporate a permanent…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1162
Justia Opinion Summary: “If the trial court has made express findings of fact, but not with sufficient detail to permit meaningful appellate review, an appellate court may remand for further findings.” Michael Williams was indicted for burglary…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1166
Justia Opinion Summary: Under OCGA 17-10-6.2 (b), a defendant convicted of a sexual offense must receive a split sentence: one that includes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment followed by an additional probated sentence of at least one…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0117
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee Quantavious Harris was convicted of felony murder and related offenses in connection with the 2009 shooting death of taxicab driver Stephen Anim. Harris timely filed a motion for new trial claiming, among other…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0183
Justia Opinion Summary: Robert Smith was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, and other offenses in connection with the shooting death of his friend, Raymond Brewer, Jr. On appeal, Smith contends that the trial court committed plain…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0254
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the partial denial of his motion for new trial, Nicholas Wilson appealed his convictions and sentences for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the November, 2009 robbery of Cassandra James and her…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0283
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Damien Reddick was convicted of murder in connection with the shooting death of Cory Johnson. The trial court denied his amended motion for new trial, and he appealed. His sole enumeration of error was that…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0301
Justia Opinion Summary: Willie Jones was convicted by jury of felony murder for the death of his four-year-old daughter, Ty’Asia Phillips. He appealed on the sole ground that he was convicted by general verdict on a count of felony murder that…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0355
Justia Opinion Summary: Freedell Benton was convicted by jury of malice murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and various other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Drexel Berry. On appeal, Benton contended: (1) the…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0359
Justia Opinion Summary: Wayne Welbon appealed his conviction for the murder of Taurean Reeves. Welbon argued on appeal: (1) his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to strike for cause a certain prospective juror; and (2) the trial…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17A0450, S17X0451
Justia Opinion Summary: Daughter Janay Milbourne (“Janay”) filed a caveat asserting that Edison Milbourne’s January 2013 Will was invalid because it had been procured by undue influence by sister and guardian Vashti Milbourne (“Vashti”);…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0642
Justia Opinion Summary: After the Merle and Lesia Long and their business Water Park Properties, LLC dismissed their most recent lawsuit against the City of Helen with prejudice, the trial court awarded more than $17,000 to the City for…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0646
Justia Opinion Summary: A grand jury indicted Verlaine Laguerre and his co-defendant Prentice Baker for murder and related crimes. Trial was scheduled to take place around the holidays at the end of 2012. During both the week of December 22 and…
Date: May 1, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0101
Justia Opinion Summary: In response to Wife’s request for an award of attorney fees and costs, the trial court entered an order finding Husband’s conduct had unnecessarily expanded the litigation and awarded Wife fees and expenses. The decree…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1245
Justia Opinion Summary: The Community Bank loaned money to several entities (“the Borrowers”) over the course of several years. The Borrowers executed five promissory notes, granting the bank a security interest in real estate located in three…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1313
Justia Opinion Summary: Heather Kimbrough and Melissa Mayfield were charged by indictment with a violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The indictment alleged that Kimbrough and Mayfield, being…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0065
Justia Opinion Summary: Oscar Blalock sought access to records held by the City of Lovejoy under the Georgia Open Records Act. After failing to receive those records, or any response from the City, Blalock filed a mandamus action seeking to…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0284
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Eric Austin was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and various other offenses in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Sade…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0290
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jahvon Pittman was tried by jury and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Maxwell Fiandt. Pittman appealed, claiming that the trial court erred in denying his motion…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0315
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Don McCray was convicted of murder and other offenses arising out of the shooting death of Darius Grover. McCray’s sole defense was justification in that he acted in self defense. In his first two enumerations…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0347
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Clarence Clark appealed his convictions for malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the fatal shooting…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0348
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Ladarrius Jones was convicted of two counts of malice murder for the shooting deaths of Thaddeus Nelson and Randy Wilder; four counts of aggravated assault for shooting in the direction of Amanda Hill, Alexis…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0350
Justia Opinion Summary: The State appealed the trial court’s pre-trial decision to suppress statements made by appellee William Clark during a police station interview. In 2008, appellee called 911 after assaulting and killing his paramour,…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0352
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Antonio Shaw was convicted of the malice murder of Shomari Grier, criminal attempt to commit the murder of Ashley McCord, aggravated assault of Lashaun Brown, and three counts of possession of a firearm during…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0358
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Cordado Burrell was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with crimes he committed against Herman Upshaw and Ruth Griffith. Burrell appealed, claiming: (1) the evidence was…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0561
Justia Opinion Summary: In 1999,Joe Carr was tried by jury and convicted of the murder of Ernest Golden. Carr’s conviction was affirmed on appeal by the Georgia Supreme Court, but the trial court granted Carr’s extraordinary motion for new…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0580
Justia Opinion Summary: Over a period of fifteen years, mother Helen Wynn undercalculated by more than $72,000 the amount of child support a court had ordered father Robert Craven to pay. When the father sought a change in custody, she then…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0630
Justia Opinion Summary: Wife Michelle Merrill appealed a trial court order denying her motion for attorney fees, which was based on the unsuccessful petition by husband Gary Lee to modify his child support obligation under the parties’ divorce…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0664
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jamarrcus Sullivan was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Kevin Daniel and aggravated assault of Kamenika Whatley. Sullivan appealed, claiming that he…
Date: April 13, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0970
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant James Voyles (Husband) and appellee Tara Voyles (Wife) were divorced in February 2015. In December 2015, Husband filed a petition in which he sought to hold Wife in contempt of the property distribution…
Date: March 20, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0417
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Ezwekwesiri Ngumezi appealed his convictions for murder, armed robbery, and related charges, contending that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury’s finding of guilt for armed robbery…
Date: March 20, 2017
Docket Number: S17A0478
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Timothy Sapp was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting death of Christopher Smith. In his sole enumeration of error, Sapp claimed that the evidence presented at…
Date: March 20, 2017
Docket Number: S17Q0345
Justia Opinion Summary: The United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia certified a question of Georgia law to the Georgia Supreme Court. Arthur and Barbara Sheridan owned several pre-1972 master sound recordings of certain…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16A1489, S17A0503
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, brothers David and Michael Naji, were convicted of murder in connection with the shooting death of Demetrius Hill. The trial court denied their amended motions for new trial, and they appealed. Both brothers…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1505
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Ken and Rochel Parker and Appellees Andrew and Penny Leeuwenburg were neighbors with a contentious relationship. Appellees first sought to have Appellants secure a good behavior bond in 2011, but the parties…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1514
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Corrick Johnson was tried before a jury on charges of malice murder, felony murder (two counts), aggravated assault, and false imprisonment, in the death of Latresh Brown. He appealed, claiming, among other…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1527
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant La Chona, LLC, brought a quiet title action asserting that it was the owner of property located in the City of Decatur, because it had purchased the property at a tax sale and had barred the right of other…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1532
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kevaughn Rainwater was acquitted of malice murder, but found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, in the 2012 shooting death of Antavious…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1602
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, a grand jury indicted Yonatan Bello for sexual exploitation of children, alleging that he unlawfully possessed video recordings that depict children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pursuant to OCGA 17-16-4…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1659
Justia Opinion Summary: This was the third appeal of this case arising from the efforts of appellee Southern LNG, Inc. (“Southern”) to compel State Revenue Commissioner Lynnette Riley (“the Commissioner”) to recognize Southern as a “public…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1674
Justia Opinion Summary: Eric Bolling was convicted by jury of the murder of Parviz Moledina, as well as burglary in the first degree and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. Bolling appealed, arguing that:(1) the evidence…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1750
Justia Opinion Summary: Donald Markle appealed the grant of a writ of habeas corpus in this child custody case. While residing in Georgia in 2010, Katrina Dass gave birth to the minor child at the center of this controversy; Dass and Markle,…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1842
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Willie Green was indicted and tried for malice murder and related crimes in connection with the November 2004 stabbing death of Marita Bradshaw. At trial, Green asserted an insanity defense, which the jury…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1850
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Trey Dinkins appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes related to the 2011 shooting death of DaJohn Milton. Appellant testified at trial. He denied shooting the victim, claiming he was at his…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16A1884, S16A1885
Justia Opinion Summary: This case centered on the procedure by which a local zoning board’s quasi-judicial decision on a variance request could be appealed to the superior court. Kerley Family Homes, LLC was granted a variance by the City of…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1895
Justia Opinion Summary: Drummond Financial Services, LLC and TMX Finance Holdings, Inc. were competitors in the automobile title loan business. Both companies were based in Georgia, with TMX doing business as “TitleMax.” In 2014, Drummond and…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0293
Justia Opinion Summary: Gary and Lori Steagald sued David, Cheryl, and Joshua Eason, alleging that the Easons failed to keep Joshua’s dog properly restrained, and asserting that the Easons, therefore, were liable for injuries that Lori…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0695
Justia Opinion Summary: Amanda Rae Coon lived in Alabama but received treatment from a hospital owned by The Medical Center, Inc. in Georgia. After the hospital mishandled the remains of her stillborn baby, Coon filed this lawsuit. Among other…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16G1143
Justia Opinion Summary: Bernard Norton, by and through Kim Norton, brought a wrongful death action against a number of defendants who were affiliated with a nursing home in which his wife, Lola Norton, died. Bernard claimed that negligent…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16Q1826
Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeals, in a divided full-court (15-judge) decision, certified to the Georgia Supreme Court a single question of statutory construction: whether OCGA 15-11-521 (b) required dismissal with prejudice when the…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16Q1875
Justia Opinion Summary: The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals certified a question of Georgia law to the Georgia Supreme Court stemming from an appeal in a personal injury case arising from an automobile accident. The Eleventh Circuit asked for…
Date: March 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16Q1881
Justia Opinion Summary: Searless West was a former employee of the City of Albany who filed a complaint in federal court against the City and two individuals setting forth, among other things, a claim under the Georgia Whistleblower Act…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1439
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Carol Hornbuckle was convicted of murder in connection with a domestic dispute that ended in the stabbing death of Charles Raburn. The trial court denied Hornbuckle’s amended motion for new trial, and she…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1509
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Roy McKinney was convicted of the malice murder of his wife, Shaquilla Weatherspoon, and cruelty to children in the third degree for beating Weatherspoon in the presence of their six-year-old daughter. His only…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1517
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2015, Janice Eversole filed a divorce action against Jay Eversole seeking, among other things, an award of alimony, child custody, and child support. Wife alleged Husband had left the marital home in Georgia…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1529
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal stemmed from the denial of a motion to withdraw a guilty plea. Appellant Gilberto Gomez shot and killed 13-year-old Steven Galindo during an armed robbery of Galindo and Galindo’s sister, Samaria Diaz. Gomez…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1545
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brandon Harrington was convicted of the malice murder and armed robbery of Mamie Wright and related crimes. On appeal, he argued the trial court erred in admitting his custodial interviews and that the evidence…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1597
Justia Opinion Summary: Marcus Smiley appealed his convictions and sentences for malice murder, aggravated battery, and first degree cruelty to children, all in connection with the death of three-month-old Mia Williams and injuries to…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1636
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Derrick Stanley appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes related to the stabbing death of Doris Murray. Appellant and Murray were formerly in a romantic relationship. At the time of Murray’s…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1661
Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial regarding ninety separate counts of criminal activity, Tamario Wise appealed his convictions for murder and armed robbery, contending that the trial court made certain evidentiary errors and that…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1667
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kajul Harvey was convicted of malice murder, burglary and other crimes in connection with the death of her mother, Alena Marble. She appealed, arguing, amongst other things, the evidence of guilt was…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1716
Justia Opinion Summary: In 1991, the Georgia Supreme Court declared Bartow County’s zoning ordinance to be invalid. Two years later, Bartow County enacted a new zoning ordinance that, among other things, included a provision addressing vested…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1725
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Timothy Cain appealed his convictions and sentences for felony murder while in the commission of an aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1742
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, Daryl Jones was tried by jury on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and cruelty to children in the first degree in the death of his girlfriend’s 17-month-old daughter. The jury acquitted Jones of malice…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1858
Justia Opinion Summary: During the course of investigating the murder of Earl Clemons, investigators learned through a witness and cellular telephone records that appellant Andrew Troutman may have met with Clemons on the day of the murder. In…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1882
Justia Opinion Summary: Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, appellant Kiera Graham pled guilty to felony murder, armed robbery, and arson in the first degree. Less than a month after she was sentenced for her crimes, appellant filed a…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16F1670
Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal arose from a trial court order determining that Father-appellant George Denney was the legal and biological father of minor child M. S. G., and ordering the state registrar to issue a new birth certificate…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0595
Justia Opinion Summary: Adrian Burdette was seriously injured when he fell while attempting a controlled descent from a cell-phone tower in contravention of instructions by his employer, Chandler Telecom, LLC (“Chandler”), that technicians must…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0744
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff-appellee J.B. was injured when certified registered nurse anesthetist (“CRNA”) Paul Serdula sexually assaulted her in a surgical suite in the dental practice of defendant-appellant Goldstein, Garber & Salama,…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0744
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff-appellee J.B. was injured when certified registered nurse anesthetist (“CRNA”) Paul Serdula sexually assaulted her in a surgical suite in the dental practice of defendant-appellant Goldstein, Garber and Salama,…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0931
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Nick Roberson was convicted of family-violence simple battery after a trial in which she was represented by a public defender. Wishing to appeal her conviction, Roberson filed a motion seeking a transcript…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Number: S17F0168
Justia Opinion Summary: Husband Imran Rasheed appealed the trial court’s grant of a motion to enforce a settlement agreement filed by wife Maryam Sarwat and its incorporation into a final decree of divorce. Husband contended that no settlement…
Date: February 27, 2017
Docket Numbers: S17Y0815, S17Y0816
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1449
Justia Opinion Summary: Glen and Danielle Rollins divorced in December 2013, and they agreed at that time to submit to binding arbitration of their respective claims to certain furniture and furnishings in the marital home. The arbitrator…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1474
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Berrien challenged the trial court’s order denying his motion to withdraw his guilty plea to felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Marcus Collins. Finding no reversible error in the…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1507
Justia Opinion Summary: Quinnard Gibson was tried by jury and convicted of murder in connection with the 2011 fatal beating of Shannon Stanley. Gibson appealed, contending: (1) that the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain his…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1528
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Superiore Allen was indicted and tried along with Brandon Norwood and Santonio Lucas, and was convicted of malice murder and other crimes arising from the 2009 shooting deaths of Vandit Patel and Jimmy Prak.…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1537
Justia Opinion Summary: Chinua Plez was tried by jury and convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with the 2011 fatal stabbing of Gary Bussey. Plez appeals, contending: (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions;…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1581
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant John Wyatt was tried and convicted of murder in connection with the death of 2-year-old Andrea Marginean. Wyatt appealed, claiming that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction and that the trial…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1583
Justia Opinion Summary: Earlin Turner was tried by jury and found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and various other offenses in connection with the shooting death of Damodar Pathak. On appeal, Turner contended only…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1610
Justia Opinion Summary: Benny Kimbrough appealed a trial court’s order denying his 2015 motion to vacate as void his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, which was imposed under OCGA 17-10-7 (b) for a murder he…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1619
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Shaheed Huff was convicted of malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Graham Sisk. The trial court denied…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1657
Justia Opinion Summary: Following the denial of his motion for new trial, as amended, Sean Mosley appeals his convictions and sentences for malice murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the 2011…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1658
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Sylvester Henderson was indicted, along with a co-defendant, for malice murder, felony murder, and other charges relating to the death of Derrick Brown. In 2011, appellant entered a guilty plea for felony…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1660
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2016, the Superior Court of Chatham County granted a petition for an interlocutory injunction, pursuant to which it removed Leonard McCoy as President of the Board of Directors of the Willow Lakes Plantation…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1665
Justia Opinion Summary: The parties, Peggy Albritton and Mark Kopp divorced in 2011. The final divorce decree incorporated a settlement agreement and child support addendum wherein Husband agreed to pay child support while the daughter was a…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1766
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Roderick Smith was convicted of malice murder and other offenses arising out of the shooting death of his girlfriend, Sherita Dunham. Smith appealed his conviction and sentence and the order denying his motion…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1781
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Christopher Smith was tried and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the 2013 shooting death of Kevin Daniel and aggravated assault of Kamenika Whatley. Smith appealed, claiming three…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16A1790, S16A1791
Justia Opinion Summary: Jami and Louis Jones, were tried together by jury and convicted of the murder of their six-year-old son, Colin (among other crimes). They appealed, both contending that they were denied the effective assistance of…
Date: February 6, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1892
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Steven Barnett was convicted of malice murder in the stabbing death of George “Bubba” Bennett. The trial court denied Barnett’s amended motion for new trial, and he appealed. Barnett argued to the Supreme Court…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1426
Justia Opinion Summary: Kyro Morrison was tried by jury and convicted of the murder of Vonyell Byrd, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Morrison appealed, contending that the evidence was legally…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1430
Justia Opinion Summary: Jonathan Kilgore appealed the denial of his motion for new trial (as amended), and his convictions and sentences for felony murder while in the commission of aggravated assault, aggravated assault, and two counts of…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Numbers: S16A1520, S16A1521
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Julius Thomas and Desmond Nixon were tried jointly and convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with a crime spree that took place over three days in January 2013. Both appellants appealed,…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1524
Justia Opinion Summary: Jerome Upshaw was tried by jury and convicted of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the 1996 fatal shooting of Joanne Walton. Upshaw appealed, contending…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1530
Justia Opinion Summary: Ramel Brown was convicted by jury for murder and related crimes. Brown was found guilty for gang activity too. The trial court granted Brown’s motion for new trial solely on that count, finding that evidence used to…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1580
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Leslie Mosby was convicted of murder and other offenses arising out of the 2012 shooting death of Theisen Wynn. Mosby appealed: (1) challenging that the evidence did not prove the affirmative defense of…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1600
Justia Opinion Summary: In 1998, a 17-year-old Robert Dennis pled guilty to several charges, including malice murder, in connection with the 1997 shooting death of Louise Carter. Dennis was sentenced, in relevant part to this appeal, to life in…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1649
Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gregory Johnson was convicted of felony murder in connection with the shooting death of Hugh Ethridge. Johnson appealed, claiming, among other things, that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1677
Justia Opinion Summary: Wife appealed an adverse judgment in an action for contempt. The record shows Wife and Husband were divorced on June 20, 2011. Neither party was represented by counsel during the divorce. The final divorce decree was a…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1721
Justia Opinion Summary: Amos Southall was tried by jury and convicted of murder and another crime in connection with the killing of Michelle Hainley. Southall appealed, contending that he was denied due process when the prosecution failed to…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16A1754
Justia Opinion Summary: James English appeals his convictions after a jury convicted him for the malice murder of Ricky Payne and first degree arson. English argued the trial court committed plain error by not providing a jury charge regarding…
Date: January 23, 2017
Docket Number: S16G0662
Justia Opinion Summary: After Dale Lyman and his wife, Helen, left Cellchem International, Inc. to work for a competitor, Cellchem sued the Lymans and two companies with which they had affiliated (collectively the “Lymans”), asserting claims…
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