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 Susan Michele Brown
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected a lawyer's petition to accept discipline for her conduct as a family trust's successor trustee, ruling that Georgia's trust-account rules do not reach a lawyer's fiduciary work when she is not practicing law.
Golden v. Floyd Healthcare Management, Inc
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that former Chief Justice Melton's COVID-19 judicial emergency order paused the deadline for filing medical malpractice lawsuits, reviving a Rome woman's case against a hospital that a lower court had thrown out as too late.
Grant v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Chatham County woman's felony murder conviction, ruling that circumstantial evidence linking her to the man who killed a gambler who had just won thousands of dollars was legally sufficient.
In the Matter of Christopher Michael
The Supreme Court of Georgia granted Christopher Michael Howlette's application to be certified fit to practice law again, more than 15 years after he voluntarily surrendered his license following drug-sale charges.
In the Matter of Curtis Lee Allen
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected an attorney's request to match a ten-day Florida suspension because he failed to attach key Florida disciplinary documents and did not prove he had stopped practicing law during that suspension.
In the Matter of Susan Michele Brown
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected a petition by attorney Susan Brown to accept discipline for her conduct as a trust administrator, ruling that the ethics rules she supposedly violated do not reach a lawyer acting purely as a fiduciary outside the practice of law.
Tavarez v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a DeKalb County man's murder conviction for shooting a man during a drug deal gone wrong, finding his lawyer's failure to object to certain testimony did not affect the trial's outcome and that he never properly objected to being shackled.
Massey v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia sent a Crisp County gun possession case back to the trial court so it could reconsider its ruling in light of a new U.S. Supreme Court Second Amendment decision, over the objection of four dissenting Justices.
White v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Erica White's murder and RICO convictions for the codeine poisoning death of her disabled two-year-old son, rejecting claims about improper evidence, severance, indictment defects, ineffective counsel, and withheld evidence.
Inquiry Concerning Judge Christina Peterson
The Supreme Court of Georgia removed Douglas County Probate Court Judge Christina Peterson from office, finding she committed willful misconduct including denying a woman due process in a criminal contempt case and lying to investigators.
In Re: Formal Advisory Opinion No. 22-1
The Supreme Court of Georgia approved a State Bar ethics opinion saying out-of-state lawyers who live in Georgia can work remotely for out-of-state clients without violating Georgia's unauthorized practice rules, as long as they don't misrepresent their license or advertise their Georgia location.
In the Matter of Diana Y. McDonald
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred an Atlanta-area attorney who lied to a client's counterparty and the State Bar about a $4 million escrow deposit while secretly transferring most of the money to herself, family, and friends.
DUNSTON v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the felony murder convictions of Dallas McCabe and Akhemu Dunston, who drove and planned a robbery of a marijuana buyer that ended with a co-defendant shooting him during a getaway.
Eleby v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Lamar County man's murder-related convictions from a deadly home invasion, but ordered his armed robbery and conspiracy convictions vacated because they should have merged into other convictions.
Ford v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld William Ford's murder and armed robbery convictions for killing Travron Gill during a drug deal, rejecting his claims about insufficient evidence, a surprise forensic witness, and unauthenticated cell phone records.
HOSTETLER v. THE STATE
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a woman convicted of misdemeanor DUI can still pursue her habeas corpus challenge even after finishing her sentence, because a future DUI conviction could carry an enhanced penalty due to this conviction.
Harmon v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Shanadore Harmon's murder conviction for fatally shooting Brittany Trantham during an argument with Jermaz Lawson, rejecting his claims of insufficient evidence and ineffective legal counsel.
Head v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Clarke County man's murder conviction, ruling that even if reading a firearms expert's old testimony into the record violated his right to confront witnesses, the mistake was harmless given overwhelming evidence he intentionally shot the victim.
Hill v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Newton County man's malice murder conviction for strangling his girlfriend, rejecting his challenges to the evidence, the trial court's handling of mistrial motions and jury selection, and his lawyer's performance.
In Re: Formal Advisory Opinion No. 22-1
The Supreme Court of Georgia approved a State Bar advisory opinion allowing out-of-state lawyers who live in Georgia to work remotely for out-of-state clients, as long as they don't claim to be licensed in Georgia and keep their Georgia location low-profile.