Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
In the Matter of Alan Christopher Norton
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the voluntary surrender of law license of an attorney who admitted forging a Tennessee judge's signature on court orders, a step treated as equivalent to disbarment.
JOSEPH, WARDEN v. INGRAM (And Vice Versa)
The Supreme Court of Georgia vacated a habeas court order that had granted a Fulton County inmate an out-of-time appeal, ruling the record failed to show his conviction was final before habeas review could even begin.
McIver v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Benjamin McIver's murder conviction in a Chatham County killing but reversed his armed robbery conviction because the evidence showed the gun was used only after the victim's debit card was already taken.
STATHAM v. QUANG
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a jury, not a judge, must decide whether two Georgia doctors can be held responsible for a medical student's alleged mistake during surgery that led to a patient's serious injury.
Weston v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Jaquan Dontae Weston's malice murder conviction for shooting his father, rejecting arguments that the evidence only supported voluntary manslaughter and that his trial lawyer was ineffective.
In the Matter of Alan Christopher Norton
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the voluntary surrender of law license from Alan Christopher Norton, an attorney who admitted forging a judge's signature on court orders, ending his ability to practice law in Georgia.
McIver v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Benjamin McIver's murder conviction but reversed his armed robbery conviction, finding the State's own evidence showed the gun was used well after the debit card was taken. The case goes back for resentencing.
Arnold v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Rockdale County man's murder conviction, rejecting arguments that the evidence was insufficient, that his fingerprint expert testimony was improperly admitted, and that his trial lawyers were ineffective.
Carrillo v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Chatham County man's murder and aggravated assault convictions, rejecting his claim that his trial lawyer's mistakes undermined the fairness of his trial.
Coleman v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Amanda Coleman's malice murder conviction in the death of two-year-old Brooklyn Aldridge, rejecting challenges to drug-use evidence, limits on defense expert testimony, and claims of ineffective counsel.
Denny v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Rockdale County man's murder conviction for shooting his half-brother, rejecting claims that his trial lawyer should have objected to key evidence or introduced a gunshot residue report.
Fox v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a Fulton County woman's felony murder conviction for shooting a homeless man at a MARTA station, rejecting claims that her lawyer was ineffective and that jury instruction errors changed the trial's outcome.
In the Interest of M. R. S., a Child
The Supreme Court of Georgia sent a Fulton-area mother's parental rights case back to the Court of Appeals of Georgia, ruling she had properly raised her challenge to the denial of her motion for an out-of-time appeal.
In the Matter of Deborah Lynn Haklin
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred an attorney who abandoned a client seeking to adopt five related children, rejecting a special master's recommendation of only a one-year suspension.
In the Matter of Sanjay Patel
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred Sanjay Patel after he stole more than $235,000 in escrow funds from a real estate refinancing deal and then stonewalled the State Bar's investigation into his conduct.
In the Matter of Stephen Dana Morrison, Jr
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the voluntary surrender of law license of Stephen Dana Morrison, Jr., after he admitted converting $27,500 in settlement funds owed to two deceased clients' estates for his own use.
Johnson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Alex Lee Johnson's felony murder conviction, ruling that evidence of his gang membership was properly admitted to show motive and that any error in skipping instructions on lesser offenses was harmless.
Johnson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Savannah man's felony murder conviction stemming from a gang-related shootout, ruling the trial judge properly let jurors hear a jail call recording found mid-deliberations and that no other error required a new trial.
Jones v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Polk County man's murder conviction for killing his brother-in-law, rejecting his claim that his lawyer's five-year delay in seeking a new-trial hearing amounted to ineffective assistance.
Metz v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a YouTuber's conviction for loitering near a Paulding County treatment facility, ruling the loitering statute was clear enough to apply to his refusal to leave after crossing the guard line.