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Found 72 matching documents.
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · May 19, 2026
In the Matter of Charles M. Dalziel, Jr
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia ordered a six-month suspension for attorney Charles M. Dalziel Jr. for disclosing a client's confidential information and filing a frivolous lawsuit against a law firm to try to collect his fees.
(d) Recommended Discipline The Special Master then determined that because the max- imum sanction for a Rule 3.1 violation is a public reprimand, the focus of his disciplinary recommendation was Dalziel’s violation of Rule 1.6(a), and concluded that Dalziel should be suspended for no less than six months. In reaching this conclusion, the Special Master...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · February 3, 2026
Graham v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Lowndes County man's felony murder conviction, rejecting claims that his trial lawyer was ineffective for not seeking certain jury instructions on self-defense and character evidence.
The jury must determine the credibility of the witnesses. In deciding this, you may consider all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the witness’s manner of testifying, their means and opportunity of knowing the facts about which they testify, the nature of the facts about which they testify, the probability or improbability of their...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · October 14, 2026
In the Matter of Robert David Arkin
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia imposed a three-year suspension on Atlanta-area attorney Robert David Arkin for mishandling five clients' cases and trust funds, rejecting his request for a shorter six-month suspension.
of the [Rules] for a lawyer to … fail to pay any final judgment or rule absolute rendered against such lawyer for money collected by him or her as a lawyer within ten days after the time appointed in the order or judgment.” 10 Rule 8.4(a)(4) provides that it shall be a violation of the Rules for a lawyer to “engage in professional conduct involving...
(d) ABA Standards Looking to the American Bar Association’s Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions for guidance in determining the appropriate level of discipline, see In the Matter of Breault, 318 Ga. 127, 136 (2024), the Special Master found that Arkin had a duty to his clients to consult and communicate with them and to perform the work for which he was...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · March 3, 2026
State v. Lee
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a trial court's ruling that a murder suspect's confession cannot be used against him at trial because police kept questioning him after he had refused to talk, but the court said the confession can still be used to challenge him if he testifies.
But it is at this point in the recording that I depart from the majority opinion’s analysis and conclude, based on the totality of the circumstances, that Lee reinitiated contact by saying “Hey” and catching Detective Sendling’s attention as the detective was turning to leave the room, and asking “[w]hy am I charged with murder, man?” See Oregon v....
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · February 3, 2026
State v. Lee
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Fulton County judge's decision to suppress a murder suspect's confession, ruling that police kept questioning him after he invoked his right to remain silent instead of waiting for him to genuinely reopen the conversation.
But it is at this point in the recording that I depart from the majority opinion’s analysis and conclude, based on the totality of the circumstances, that Lee reinitiated contact by saying “Hey” and catching Detective Sendling’s attention as the detective was turning to leave the room, and asking “[w]hy am I charged with murder, man?” See Oregon v....
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · August 13, 2026
Minor v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a DeKalb County man's murder conviction, rejecting claims that a coworker's identification testimony, courtroom shackling, and his lawyer's performance entitled him to a new trial.
Under Rule 701, “a lay witness may testify in the form of opinions or inferences that are rationally based on the perception of the witness, helpful to a clear understanding of the witness’s testimony or the determination of a fact in issue and not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge.” Mitchell v. State, 320 Ga. 673, 678 (2025)...
Given how the shooter was depicted in the surveillance photographs—including his constant movement, the fact that he never directly faced the surveillance video camera, and the fact that he was wearing a baseball hat and glasses that partially shielded his face—the shooter’s attire; the fact that Minor had a full beard at trial but did not have a beard in...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · June 16, 2026
CLARK v. LEIGH (And Vice Versa)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Bibb County jury's wrongful death and pain-and-suffering award for April Clark cannot be cut down by Georgia's $350,000 cap on noneconomic medical malpractice damages, because that cap cannot be separated from damages the jury trial right protects. The court sent the case back for further proceedings.
2. Application to Relevant Statutes In 2005, the General Assembly enacted OCGA § 51-13-1 (the “cap statute”). See Ga. L. 2005, pp. 1, 16–17, § 13. The cap statute provides that certain noneconomic damages awards in medical malpractice suits are limited to a specified amount. As relevant here, subsection (b) of OCGA § 51-13-1 provides that “[i]n any verdict...
(i) The Historical Importance of the Right to Trial by Jury Since this Court’s beginning, we have recognized that the right to trial by jury is a “principal bulwark of English and American liberties.” Craig v. Maltbie, 1 Ga. 544, 546 (1846). The right long predates the first Constitution of this State and the Constitution of the United States. The right to...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · October 14, 2026
In the Matter of Jeffrey Jackson
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted a second petition for voluntary discipline from an Atlanta-area attorney who abruptly shut down his practice during a mental health crisis, imposing a six-month suspension retroactive to when he stopped practicing.
2. Admitted Rule Violations Based on the conduct described above, Jackson admits that he violated Rule 1.1 1 by not providing competent representation to his clients during his mental health crisis; Rule 1.2 2 by failing to consult with his clients to ensure that they had a plan to obtain new counsel or otherwise continue to pursue their objectives once 1...
5 Rule 1.16(a) provides, in relevant part, that a lawyer shall withdraw from representation if “the lawyer’s physical or mental condition materially impairs the lawyer’s ability to represent the client.” The maximum sanction for a violation of this Rule is a public reprimand. 6 Rule 1.16(c) provides, in relevant part, that “[w]hen a lawyer with- draws it...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · February 3, 2026
FLAKES v. THE STATE (Two Cases)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Jeffrey Flakes's murder conviction but reversed a new trial granted to his co-defendant Curtis Williams, ruling the prosecutor was not required to be disqualified even though she had once represented both men as a public defender.
That relevant law is thin, and it mostly points towards a case- by-case assessment of the circumstances relevant to disqualifica- tion. Here is what we have: This Court has said that Rule 1.9(a) is meant to “protect former clients, avoid the appearance of any impro- priety, and maintain public confidence in the integrity of our adver- sarial system.” Hodge...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · January 21, 2026
Burns v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Columbia County man's felony murder conviction, finding the evidence was sufficient and that his statements to police and autopsy photographs were properly admitted at trial.
However, a suspect’s request for a lawyer must be “clear and unambiguous” such that “a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney.” Id. at 551–52. Simply saying the words ‘attorney’ or ‘lawyer,’ without more, does not constitute an unambiguous invocation of the right to counsel. Id. And,...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · October 14, 2026
In THE INTEREST OF D. H., CHILDREN
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that when a juvenile court finds a parent unfit based on a 'medically verified' health deficiency under Georgia's dependency statute, not just the deficiency but also its duration or nature must be medically verified.
2. Legal Analysis When we review questions of statutory construction on appeal, “our review is conducted under a de novo standard.” Bowen v. Savoy, 308 Ga. 204, 205 (2020) (quotation marks omitted). So, we turn to the statutory language, mindful that “we must give the text its plain and ordinary meaning, view it in the context in which it appears, and read...
(2) As noted above, OCGA § 15-11-311(a)(1) is part of a list of circumstances that, if established, a juvenile court “shall consider” in “determining whether a child is without proper parental care and control.” See id. § 15-11-311(a). That determination is equivalent to a finding of neglect, see id. § 15- 11-2(48)(A), which in turn permits a finding that a...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · February 17, 2026
LUCID GROUP USA, INC. v. STATE OF GEORGIA
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia revived part of Lucid Motors' constitutional challenge to Georgia's law requiring car manufacturers to sell through franchised dealers, ruling the trial court used the wrong legal test in tossing out the claims.
Anti-Competitive Contracts Clause 10] of this Constitution, the General Assembly in the exercise of its police power shall be authorized to regulate … new motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and their representatives doing business in Georgia, including agreements among such parties, in order to prevent frauds, unfair business practices,...
First, in Lasseter, which addressed Paragraph IV’s predecessor in the 1976 Constitution, 18 we concluded that, because the challenged law “deal[t] with a limited activity in a specific industry during a limited time frame,” it was a “special law.” Lasseter, 253 Ga. at 229. But we did not hold that the “special class[ification]” drawn by the statute rendered...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · October 14, 2026
In the Matter of Hakeem Bertrand Brock
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred Atlanta-area attorney Hakeem Bertrand Brock for mishandling his trust accounts and mistreating clients in five separate matters, including converting a grieving mother's wrongful death settlement.
(b) ABA Standards After discussing her findings of fact and conclusions of law as to the Rules violated, the Special Master applied the frame- work set out in the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanc- tions (1992) (“ABA Standards”). 22 The Special Master determined 22 See ABA Standard 3.0 (when imposing a sanction, “a court should that Brock violated his...
Based on this evidence and Brock’s second petition, the 2 The State Bar filed a formal complaint against Powell regarding the same matters and charging many of the same Rule violations. Powell submit- ted a petition for voluntary discipline requesting a public reprimand, which this Court rejected. See In the Matter of Powell, S25Y1162 (Aug. 26, 2025)....
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · February 17, 2026
In the Matter of Bryan Matthew Pritchett
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Bryan Matthew Pritchett after he admitted forging clients' signatures on workers' compensation checks and keeping the money for himself, then lied to clients and ignored the State Bar's investigation.
purposes, and lied or failed to respond to (1) clients’ inquiries regarding the status of their recoveries and (2) the Bar’s requests for information and notices of investigation. Based on this conduct, Pritchett violated Rules 1.1,2 1.2(a),3 1.3, 4 1.4(a)(1),5 1.4(a)(2),6 ———————————————————————————————————— 2 Rule 1.1 provides, in relevant part, that “[a]...
11 Rule 1.15(I)(a) provides that, in relevant part, that “[a] lawyer shall hold funds or other property of clients or third persons that are in a lawyer’s possession in connection with a representation separate from the lawyer’s own funds or other property. … Complete records of such account funds and other property shall be kept by the lawyer and shall be...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · October 14, 2026
Dorsey v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Cordarius Dorsey's murder conviction in a DeKalb County gas station shooting, rejecting claims that his lawyer was ineffective and that the trial court wrongly admitted certain evidence.
“[E]vidence about a crime victim’s personal characteristics and the emotional impact of the crime on the victim, the victim’s family, and the victim’s community generally is not admissible in the guilt/innocence phase of a criminal trial.” Lofton v. State, 309 Ga. 349, 363 (2020). Although Jalloh’s daughter’s testimony may have been inadmissible, it was...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · June 16, 2026
Booze v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld a Cobb County man's rape conviction, ruling that Georgia's rape law was not too vague to apply to him and that evidence of the victim's extreme intoxication was enough to support the verdict.
WARREN, Presiding Justice, concurring. Although I concur in the majority opinion, I write separately to emphasize the standard of review this Court applies when evaluating a constitutional challenge to a statute passed by the General Assembly. For decades, our Court has routinely articulated that It is axiomatic that all presumptions are in favor of the...
(2022); Kemp v. Gonzalez, 310 Ga. 104, 106 (2020); S&S Towing & Recovery, Ltd. v. Charnota, 309 Ga. 117, 118 (2020); Heron Lake II Apartments, LP v. Lowndes Cnty. Bd. of Tax Assessors, 306 Ga. 816, 825 (2019); Georgia Dep’t of Hum. Servs. v. Steiner, 303 Ga. 890, 894 (2018); Ellis v. State, 300 Ga. 371, 378-79 (2016); Zarate- Martinez v. Echemendia, 299 Ga....
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · September 9, 2026
In the Matter of Terri Sharonda Herron
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia suspended a family law attorney for 12 months after finding she repeatedly failed to communicate with clients, missed deadlines, and delayed refunding unearned fees in four divorce and custody cases.
2. Rule Violations Based on her factual findings, the Special Master con- cluded that Herron violated the Rules with which she was charged. The Special Master determined that Herron violated Rule 1.2(a) in SDBD No. 7673 by failing to notify and consult with the client about the developments in his case, including the dis- covery requests and the motion to...
3. Assessment of Proper Sanction After determining that Herron violated the Rules with which she was charged, the Special Master applied the frame- work set out in the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanc- tions (1992) (“ABA Standards”). 1 In assessing the duty violated, the Special Master determined that Herron violated the duty of diligence and the duty...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · March 17, 2026
In the Matter of Charles Bruce Singleton, Jr
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred an attorney who abandoned three clients, failed to refund fees, and kept a minor's personal injury settlement money for himself despite multiple court orders to turn it over.
1. Procedural History On November 29, 2023, the State Bar filed two formal complaints in connection with two client matters, charging Singleton with several Rule violations. In State Disciplinary Board (“SDB”) Docket No. 7664, the State Bar alleged that Singleton was hired to represent a client in a probate matter and stopped communicating with the client...
(b) Rule Violations (i) SDB Docket No. 7664 The Special Master determined that Singleton violated Rules 1.2(a) by being hired to probate the client’s mother’s will but failing to communicate with the client about what needed to be submitted to open the estate; 1.3 by failing to submit documents from the client’s siblings to finalize the estate; 1.4(a) by...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · January 21, 2026
Phillips v. State
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld Eureon Phillips's felony murder conviction in the shooting death of Tiffany Valkoun, rejecting his challenges to the evidence, a denied mistrial motion, and limits on playing witness statements to the jury.
opportunity to explain or deny the prior inconsistent statement and the opposite party is afforded an opportunity to interrogate the witness on the prior inconsistent statement or the interests of justice otherwise require. See also OCGA § 24-8-801(d)(1)(A) (prior inconsistent statements meeting requirements of OCGA § 24-6-613(b) are not hearsay if the...
Supreme Court opinion · Supreme Court of Georgia · March 3, 2026
In the Matter of Joseph William Cloud
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Joseph William Cloud after he abandoned two clients, mishandled a $12,000 trust payment, and failed to respond to any part of the State Bar's disciplinary case against him.
8 Rule 1.16(d) states that, upon terminating his or her representation, a lawyer “shall take steps to the extent reasonably practicable to protect a client’s interests,” such as “giving reasonable notice to the client, allowing time for employment of other counsel, surrendering papers and property to which the client is entitled and refunding any advance...
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