Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
ADVENTURE MOTORSPORTS REINSURANCE, LTD v. INTERSTATE NATIONAL DEALER SERVICES, INC. (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that an arbitrator did not manifestly disregard the law when he interpreted a vehicle service contract dispute, reversing a Court of Appeals decision that had thrown out an arbitration award.
Bates v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Barrow County man's murder conviction for shooting his neighbor and the neighbor's dog, rejecting all four claims that his trial lawyers provided constitutionally inadequate representation.
Bell v. Hargrove
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a probate judge cannot deny a weapons carry license just because a criminal history report leaves the outcome of an old arrest unclear. The judge must have actual proof of a disqualifying conviction, not mere speculation.
Floyd v. Stone
The Supreme Court of Georgia refused to let a citizen sue to remove a superior court judge over claims the Governor waited too long to appoint him, ruling that removal is not the right remedy even if the delay violated the constitution.
Grullon v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a man convicted of heroin trafficking did not give up his right to challenge a flawed jury instruction just because his lawyer said 'no objection' after the judge read the final charge.
Hines v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a man's murder conviction, rejecting his argument that the trial judge should not have let a last-minute witness testify against him.
In the Matter of Billy Reid Zeh, III
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted a Glynn County lawyer's request to voluntarily surrender his law license after he pleaded guilty to assault charges, a move the court treated as equal to disbarment.
In the Matter of Jason Lee Van Dyke
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected a Texas lawyer's third attempt to resolve his Georgia bar discipline case through a proposed 36-month suspension, again sending the matter back for more fact-finding.
Myers v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Corey Myers's murder-related conviction in a Fulton County shooting, rejecting his claims about the evidence, a closing argument, and his understanding of possible sentences.
RCC WESLEY CHAPEL CROSSING, LLC v. ALLEN
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that private landowners have no common-law right to boot or otherwise immobilize vehicles parked without permission, but sent a class-action lawsuit over such booting back for further review.
Saxton v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Muscogee County man's murder conviction, ruling that even if an investigator's testimony about a bullet's path was wrongly allowed, the mistake did not affect the jury's verdict.
Taylor v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder conviction for killing his father, ruling that the circumstantial evidence at trial was legally sufficient to rule out other explanations for the shooting.
Davis v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Dougherty County man's murder conviction, rejecting his claim of self-defense and finding no error in the judge's refusal to instruct the jury on voluntary manslaughter.
In the Matter of Megan Kate Andrews
The Supreme Court of Georgia refused to let a bar applicant sidestep a missed appeal deadline and upheld the Board of Bar Examiners' refusal to waive that deadline for her.
Murray v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Gwinnett County trial court was wrong to throw out a murder defendant's motion for new trial after he claimed to be a fictitious lawyer and skipped his own hearing.
SPANN v. DAVIS
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a trial court could not, on its own, dismiss a wrongfully-arrested woman's lawsuit based on quasi-judicial immunity when the court clerks never raised that defense themselves.
State v. Houston
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a habeas court's decision to void a man's three misdemeanor DUI guilty pleas because he was never told at his plea hearing that he had a right to a lawyer there.
Troy v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder conviction, ruling that even if the trial court wrongly let jurors hear about his 1998 shooting with the same gun, the mistake did not affect the verdict.
ROCKDALE COUNTY. v. U. S. ENTERPRISES, INC. And Vice Versa
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that Rockdale County's zoning definition of a 'truck stop,' used to deny a QuikTrip permit, was not unconstitutionally vague, reversing a superior court ruling in the county's favor.
Ash v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Jabarri Ash's murder conviction in the shooting death of Mario Shaw, rejecting his challenges to evidence rulings, jury instructions, and claims that police improperly destroyed his cell phone.