Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
Wilson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a stepfather's convictions for molesting his 13-year-old stepdaughter, ruling that evidence he had molested his younger half-sister decades earlier as a child himself was properly admitted at trial.
Seals v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a criminal case is not final and appealable if any count of the indictment has been placed on the 'dead docket' rather than dismissed, convicted, or acquitted.
Young v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Rodney Renia Young's murder conviction and death sentence, rejecting dozens of trial challenges and reaffirming that Georgia can require defendants to prove intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt.
Adams v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia dismissed a case it had earlier agreed to review, deciding after full briefing that it should not have taken up the appeal in the first place.
Davenport v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Tift County man's murder conviction, rejecting his claims that the evidence was insufficient, that his lawyer was ineffective, and that jurors should have been told they could convict him of a lesser crime instead.
FITTS v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Donovan Fitts's murder convictions and, over a partial dissent, upheld Jermanique Franklin's felony murder convictions as an accomplice, while correcting a sentencing error by vacating her separate armed robbery and burglary convictions.
Holmes v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Dequan Holmes's murder conviction and his life-without-parole sentence for a killing he committed just days before turning 18, rejecting his self-defense claim and his Eighth Amendment challenge.
In the Matter of Jenny Lindsay
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the Board of Bar Examiners' refusal to waive bar exam educational requirements for a foreign-trained lawyer who could not get an official transcript from Emory University because of an unpaid fee dispute.
Jackson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Hinesville man's murder conviction, finding the evidence was sufficient and that a friend's statements naming him as the shooter during a 911 call were properly admitted.
LOVE v. FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF TAX ASSESSORS
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the dismissal of a taxpayer lawsuit challenging Fulton County's decision not to tax the Atlanta Falcons' stadium company, finding the tax board had properly investigated and reasonably concluded the company's interest was a nontaxable usufruct.
Lewis v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Jeffrey Lewis's felony murder conviction, ruling that his recorded jailhouse confession was properly admitted because he was not promised any benefit and never clearly asked for a lawyer.
MAXWELL v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia mostly upheld a Chatham County judge's ruling that letting two teens plead guilty to gun possession in state court did not block most of the murder-related charges filed later in superior court, but it ordered dismissal of three gang-activity counts tied directly to the dropped gun charges.
RIOS v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that two men charged in a fatal shooting can be retried after a mistrial was declared when a newly discovered ballistics report surfaced during trial, holding double jeopardy did not block a second trial.
Rogers v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Wayne County man's felony murder conviction, finding enough evidence he shot a man he meant to scare and rejecting his claim that a GBI agent's trial testimony unfairly tainted the verdict.
Thomas v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Tony Thomas's murder and gang activity convictions from two drive-by shootings in DeKalb County, rejecting claims that prosecutors hid witness felony records and that his lawyer or the trial judge should have flagged those records for the jury.
Tyler v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Richmond County man's convictions for felony murder, armed robbery, and burglary in the shooting death of a security guard during a copper theft, finding the circumstantial evidence sufficient.
Walker v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a Fulton County man's felony murder and armed robbery convictions, rejecting his challenges to jury instructions on marijuana charges and his claim that his trial lawyer failed him.
ALLEN v. DAKER (And Vice Versa)
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that Waseem Daker, convicted of murdering Karmen Smith, was never validly warned of or gave up his right to a lawyer for his post-conviction appeal, so he must get a new appeal process.
Abbott v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Floyd County man's murder convictions, rejecting his claims about a witness who had been drinking, evidence of a stolen four-wheeler, and an alleged secret deal with a jailhouse informant.
Bonner v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Muscogee County man's felony murder conviction, finding enough evidence he intended to assault his girlfriend with a gun and rejecting his claim the trial court should have told the jury the shooting was an accident.