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 Nathan E. Hardwick IV
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the voluntary surrender of law license from attorney Nathan E. Hardwick IV after his federal fraud convictions were upheld on appeal, permanently ending his ability to practice law in the state.
Monroe v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Steven Monroe's murder and gang-related convictions from a fatal 2014 nightclub shooting in Homerville, but found sentencing mistakes on several counts and sent the case back for corrected sentences.
Williams v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Steven Monroe's murder and gang crime convictions from a 2014 Homerville nightclub shooting, but found sentencing mistakes that require the case to go back for corrected sentences on several counts.
In the Matter of Gus Vincent Soto
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Gus Vincent Soto after Florida revoked his law license for misappropriating client settlement funds and misleading clients about the money's whereabouts.
Bowman v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Paulding County man's 2014 trial never happened in the eyes of the law because the 12 citizens who heard his case were never sworn in as a jury, so he is entitled to be discharged and acquitted under Georgia's speedy trial statute.
Charles v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a Gordon County man's murder conviction, rejecting his challenges to the evidence, the trial court's handling of a courtroom bathroom incident involving jurors, and the decision to try felon-in-possession charges together with the murder charges.
Evans v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a man's murder conviction for a fatal shooting outside an Augusta apartment, ruling his trial lawyer's decision not to use police body-camera footage was a reasonable strategic choice, not ineffective representation.
Gonzales v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a man's felony murder and aggravated battery convictions in the death of his girlfriend's three-year-old son, but ruled his separate aggravated battery sentence should have merged into the murder sentence.
Haufler v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed Chad Haufler's murder conviction, rejecting his claims that the jury should have been instructed on involuntary manslaughter and that his statements to a deputy coroner should have been suppressed.
In the Matter of Gus Vincent Soto
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred a lawyer after Florida permanently revoked his law license for mishandling client settlement funds in a scheme similar to a Ponzi scheme.
In the Matter of Kara Sherrisse Lawrence
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Kara Sherrisse Lawrence after she abandoned an immigration client, took over $5,300 from him without proper authorization, and never responded to State Bar disciplinary proceedings.
Middlebrooks v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder conviction of a mother who killed her two-year-old daughter, ruling that a prosecution expert's improper testimony about insanity-verdict consequences and defense counsel's handling of a VA psychiatrist's testimony did not warrant a new trial.
Norris v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a man's murder and child cruelty convictions in the beating death of an eight-month-old, rejecting arguments about insufficient evidence and ineffective legal representation.
State v. Wilson
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a trial court's decision to throw out evidence from a murder suspect's cell phones, ruling the search warrant let police grab 'any and all' data without limiting the search to evidence of the crime.
Taylor v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a man's murder and aggravated battery convictions from a 2013 Richmond County trial, rejecting claims about excluded mental health evidence, sentencing based on his rejection of a plea deal, a witness's testimony, and ineffective legal representation.
WS CE RESORT OWNER, LLC v. HOLLAND
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that homeowners cannot claim an easement in a nearby golf course just because it was labeled 'golf course' on a subdivision plat and they bought lots referencing that plat.
In the Matter of Muhammad Abdul-Warit Abdur-Rahim
The Supreme Court of Georgia suspended attorney Muhammad Abdul-Warit Abdur-Rahim from practicing law after he failed to show up to receive a disciplinary reprimand the court had already ordered.
CAMDEN COUNTY v. SWEATT, JUDGE
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that Camden County electors could force a referendum on resolutions approving the county's purchase of land for a rocket launch facility, rejecting the county's bid to block the vote.
Allen v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder convictions for a double shooting, rejecting arguments that the evidence was insufficient and that the trial judge mishandled a witness's improper testimony.
HAMON v. CONNELL
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that adult children, not just minor children, can seek an equitable exception allowing them to bring a wrongful death lawsuit when a surviving spouse refuses to do so.