Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
BUTLER v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder and gang convictions of Demarco Butler and Antonio Avery, ruling the evidence was enough to convict and that gang evidence and a police interview were properly admitted at trial.
Finney v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia reversed a Macon man's murder-related convictions, finding the trial court wrongly admitted hearsay from an accomplice, failed to instruct jurors on corroboration rules, and improperly let in evidence of prior shootings.
Gaddy v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld William Gaddy's felony murder conviction in the death of his girlfriend's two-year-old daughter, ruling police were not required to re-read him his Miranda rights when moving the interview to the police station.
Gialenios v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder conviction of a Cherokee County man who shot the husband of his mistress, rejecting challenges to the circumstantial evidence, cell phone records, and the trial court's handling of cross-examination and a warrantless police interview.
Harrison v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Kevin Harrison's murder conviction in the shooting death of his wife, rejecting his claim that the shooting was accidental and his objections to jury instructions and evidence of past domestic violence.
In the Matter of Daveniya Fisher
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted a voluntary discipline petition from Atlanta-area attorney Daveniya Elisse Fisher and ordered a Review Board reprimand for failing to appear at hearings in a client's property forfeiture case.
In the Matter of Evelyn A. Miller
The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted an attorney's request to give up her law license after she admitted diverting more than $250,000 in escrow funds meant for real estate settlement clients, discipline that mirrors sanctions already imposed in Virginia.
In the Matter of George Michael Plumides
The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred a Georgia attorney who repeatedly abandoned clients, mishandled settlement money, and ignored disciplinary investigations for years.
In the Matter of L. Nicole Brantley
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected an attorney's request for a mere reprimand over her failure to refund client fees, finding her disciplinary history and lack of candor called for a tougher sanction to be decided after a full hearing.
In the Matter of Willie George Davis, Jr
The Supreme Court of Georgia rejected an 18-month suspension deal for an attorney who mishandled his sister's estate and his orphaned nephew's finances, finding the proposed punishment could trap him in indefinite discipline for decades.
Jones v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Grady County man's murder and aggravated assault convictions for a shooting at a car show gathering that killed one man and wounded three bystanders.
McKelvey v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Muscogee County man's murder conviction for shooting Corey Owens, rejecting challenges to the evidence, jury selection, and his lawyer's decision not to call two witnesses.
Pearson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Valdosta man's armed robbery convictions, rejecting his claims that his trial lawyer should have fought a roadside identification and a surveillance video, and that a missing trial transcript violated his rights.
Strickland v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Wayne County man's murder and armed robbery convictions, rejecting his claims that the evidence was too weak and that a juror lied during jury selection about knowing him.
Swinson v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Seminole County man's double murder convictions, rejecting his claims that the evidence was insufficient, his cell phone records were illegally obtained, and his lawyer was ineffective.
Volkova v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Liubov Volkova's murder conviction for killing her husband, ruling the trial judge properly instructed the jury on her police statement and that her trial lawyer's performance was not constitutionally deficient.
GWINNETT COUNTY v. CITY OF NORCROSS ORDER
The Supreme Court of Georgia declined to review a dispute between Gwinnett County and the City of Norcross over who must maintain storm water infrastructure on annexed land, leaving a Court of Appeals ruling in place over one Justice's dissent.
Carston v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a LaGrange teenager's murder and gang-crime convictions, ruling the trial court did not improperly limit cross-examination of a witness and correctly allowed a gang-beating video into evidence.
Champ v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Ben Hill County man's murder conviction but sent the case back to the trial court to hold a hearing on his claim that he was unconstitutionally excluded from bench conferences during jury selection.
GWINNETT COUNTY v. CITY OF NORCROSS
The Supreme Court of Georgia declined to review a dispute between Gwinnett County and the City of Norcross over who must maintain storm water infrastructure on land the city annexed, leaving a Court of Appeals ruling in place over a dissent urging review.