Georgia CommonsCourt opinions
Georgia Supreme Court decisions with plain-language summaries. Browse by year and case type, or search by case name.
McCluskey v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia reversed a Floyd County man's two convictions for cruelty to children because his grandchildren did not actually see or hear him shoot his wife, though it upheld his murder conviction and other charges.
Mosley v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Rashard Mosley's murder and armed robbery convictions from a week-long 2014 Savannah crime spree, rejecting challenges to the evidence, hearsay rulings, and his lawyer's performance.
Rammage v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Bleckley County man's murder conviction for shooting a driver during a road rage confrontation, rejecting his claims of self-defense evidence exclusion, missing jury instructions, and ineffective counsel.
Redding v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a DeKalb County man's murder conviction, rejecting claims that his trial lawyer botched cross-examination of two witnesses and that the trial judge wrongly blocked impeachment evidence.
Rich v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Tift County man's murder and kidnapping convictions stemming from a violent robbery of a home card game that left the homeowner dead.
STEPHENS v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the murder convictions of Lloyd Stephens and Demetreus Brewer, rejecting claims about closing-argument comments, a denied stipulation to a prior felony, and ineffective assistance of counsel.
Smith v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Richmond County woman's felony murder conviction in the death of her two-year-old son, rejecting her claims that the evidence was too weak, that a juror should not have been replaced, and that jurors should have heard a good-character instruction.
Taylor v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a man cannot be held guilty of 13 separate counts of contempt for cursing at a judge during one brief, continuous outburst, and sent the case back for a single contempt conviction.
Wells v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Tyrecquiss Wells's felony murder and armed robbery convictions in a Muscogee County shooting, rejecting claims about his police statement, an accomplice's testimony, and his lawyer's trial strategy.
Williams v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Allen Deverna Williams' malice murder conviction, rejecting his claims that the evidence was insufficient, his post-trial lawyer was ineffective, and a conflict of interest tainted his trial.
Williams v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Gwinnett County man charged with 48 counts of possessing child pornography could not get most of those counts thrown out before trial, even though he claimed the charges were duplicative.
Bankston v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a man who pleaded guilty to five murders in 1988 could not use a 2019 motion to undo his convictions or withdraw his guilty pleas, because decades had passed since his sentencing.
Chavez v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County man's murder and gang convictions but reversed his conviction for possessing a firearm as a first-offender probationer because his probation had already expired when the shooting occurred.
Davis v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Carlton Davis's felony murder conviction, rejecting his claims about a coerced statement, an improperly admitted letter, and a 14-year delay in deciding his new trial motion.
Doyle v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia reversed a man's murder conviction because the trial judge never told the jury it needed extra proof beyond a possible accomplice's word before convicting him.
Driver v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Rome man's felony murder conviction, ruling that his admission to shooting Randy Diamond was properly used against him because he reinitiated the conversation with police after asking for a lawyer.
Flowers v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Bibb County man's murder conviction for killing his ex-wife, ruling that evidence of an earlier beating and an autopsy photo of her brain were properly admitted at trial.
Floyd v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder convictions of Louis Floyd, Jr. and Tara Lee Harrell in the stabbing death of William Jackson, rejecting claims about trial severance, jury instructions, and ineffective legal help.
Gaston v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Spalding County man's felony murder conviction, rejecting his claim that his trial lawyer's strategic choices amounted to ineffective assistance.
Harris v. State
The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Cobb County man's murder conviction, finding no plain error in admitting his pre-trial statements to police and no ineffective assistance in his lawyer's handling of his decision to speak with detectives.