Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
Davis v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed a teenager's felony murder conviction, ruling his lawyer's failure to object to a missing witness's earlier testimony was a reasonable strategic choice, not ineffective assistance.
Green v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder conviction, ruling that his prior Florida nolo contendere pleas could count toward recidivist sentencing and that his lawyer was not ineffective for advising him not to testify.
In THE MATTER OF JOSEPH HAROLD TURNER, JR. (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Joseph Harold Turner, Jr. after he failed to respond to disciplinary proceedings accusing him of keeping a client's settlement money and mishandling his trust account.
In the Matter of Earnest Redwine
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted a Fulton-area lawyer's request to permanently surrender his law license after he neglected a client's personal injury case, causing the lawsuit to be dismissed and then hiding the dismissal from her.
In the Matter of Edward Shuff Cook
The Supreme Court of Georgia imposed only a public reprimand on attorney Edward Shuff Cook for repeatedly and improperly moving client trust account funds, siding with a special master's factual findings over a harsher recommendation from the State Disciplinary Review Board.
In the Matter of Jason Lee Van Dyke
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected a Texas lawyer's request to end his suspension from practicing law in Georgia, saying too many unanswered questions remain about his conduct and other discipline he faced elsewhere.
Johnson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Fulton County man convicted of murder can be retried, finding that the trial evidence was legally sufficient for a jury to convict even without corroborating an accomplice's testimony.
Lopez v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a DeKalb County man's malice murder conviction, ruling that the trial judge properly let jurors hear the dying victim's statements identifying his attacker and describing a drug debt between the two men.
MORRIS v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder and robbery convictions of a father and son for the fatal beating of Earl Gill in Putnam County, finding the evidence and jury instructions were sound.
McDaniel v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Paulding County man's murder conviction proceedings, ruling his plea lawyer was not constitutionally required to consult him about an appeal and that his belated challenge to the indictment came too late.
Pindling v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia reversed a Lowndes County man's murder conviction because the trial judge told jurors a single witness's testimony could prove a fact without also telling them an accomplice's testimony needs outside support.
Rice v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Malik Deshawn Rice's felony murder conviction in a DeKalb County shooting, but ruled his separate aggravated assault conviction should be merged into his armed robbery conviction for sentencing.
Thomas v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder conviction, ruling his trial lawyer was not constitutionally deficient for dropping a motion to suppress evidence found in his car.
Thurman v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a DeKalb County man's murder conviction, rejecting his claim that his trial lawyer was ineffective for not calling his grandmother as an alibi witness whose whereabouts were unknown.
CHAM v. ECI MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a jury instruction defining a shooting victim as a possible 'licensee' at an apartment complex where he was killed, in a wrongful death case brought by his family against the complex's owner and manager.
Duke v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that Ryan Duke, the man charged in the 2005 murder of Tara Grinstead, remains indigent even though his lawyers work for free, and that state law lets pro bono lawyers contract with public defender agencies to get state-funded experts and investigators.
McGarity v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Paulding County man's murder conviction but threw out his convictions on two lesser charges after finding the trial court wrongly let a police captain repeat witnesses' earlier statements to boost their credibility.
Moss v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Houston County teen's murder conviction and his sentence of life without parole, rejecting claims of ineffective trial counsel and finding the trial judge properly determined the crimes reflected permanent incorrigibility.
Neuman v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Hemy Neuman's second murder conviction in the killing of Russell Sneiderman, rejecting arguments about collateral estoppel, prosecutor disqualification, and evidence rulings from his retrial.
Pender v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder-related convictions of Christopher Pender and Christopher Whitaker in a Muscogee County shooting, and used the case to clarify how courts should review theft-by-receiving convictions.