Justia Georgia Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Daniel Anglin appealed his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Chad Ruark. Anglin argued the trial evidence was insufficient to support his convictions; the trial court erred in handling an untimely disclosure that someone else purportedly confessed to killing Ruark; trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to a lay witness’ scientific conclusions; and the cumulative effect of these errors prejudiced him. The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed, finding the evidence was sufficient to authorize a jury to conclude that Anglin was guilty; Anglin did not show the untimely disclosure prejudiced him; trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to object to the witness’s testimony because it was not based on scientific training or other specialized knowledge; and there were no errors to consider cumulatively. View "Anglin v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Brantley Washington and his co-defendants, Chrishon Siders and Haleem Graham, were convicted of malice murder, first degree burglary, and other crimes in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Seine Jackson. Washington appealed, arguing the trial court erred in admitting hotel surveillance videos from the day before and the day of the crimes, along with the opinion testimony of two detectives describing the surveillance videos and a dashcam video recording of a traffic stop taken on the night of the crimes. Washington also claimed he received ineffective assistance of counsel when his trial counsel failed to object to that evidence. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed Washington's convictions. View "Washington v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Appellant Raphael Johnson was convicted of the 2013 malice murder of Frederick Burke, the 2013 felony murder of James Cornelius, and other crimes in connection with a shooting incident at a “gambling house,” and the aggravated battery of Ahmed Rayner in connection with another shooting at a restaurant a week later. In his appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, Appellant contended: (1) the evidence presented at his trial was legally insufficient to support his convictions for the aggravated battery of Rayner; (2) that the trial court’s jury instruction on aggravated assault constituted plain error; and (3) that the trial court abused its discretion by concluding that evidence of another shooting incident that occurred a few hours before the gambling house shootings was admissible as intrinsic evidence. The Supreme Court rejected these contentions and affirmed Appellant’s convictions, except for his conviction for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, which was vacated to correct a merger error. View "Johnson v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Darius Dunn appealed his convictions for malice murder and other charges in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Anthony Tavarez. Dunn claimed on appeal that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support his conviction for a violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. He also argued the trial court abused its discretion in admitting alleged bad character evidence and allegedly irrelevant and prejudicial video evidence. Finally, Dunn contended he received constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel because his trial counsel did not seek to redact the State’s exhibits to exclude allegedly irrelevant and prejudicial bad character evidence. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Dunn v. Georgia" on Justia Law

A jury found Mustafa Mahdi guilty but mentally ill of the 2014 malice murder of John Quincy III and guilty of possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. Appealing pro se appeal, Mahdi broadly claimed the trial court, as well as his trial and appellate counsel, violated his constitutional rights. After review, the Georgia Supreme Court discerned from these claims that Mahdi was arguing: (1) the trial court violated his due process rights by allowing his trial attorneys to present an insanity defense against his wishes; (2) he received ineffective assistance of trial and motion-for-new trial counsel; and (3) his trial and motion counsel violated his right to conflict-free representation. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed Mahdi's convictions. View "Mahdi v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Tonya Tidwell was convicted by jury of malice murder and aggravated battery in connection with the death of David Guice. On appeal, Tidwell claimed the trial court erred by failing to charge the jury on mutual combat and by failing to suppress evidence obtained during the post-incident search of the crime scene. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed Tidwell's conviction. View "Tidwell v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Appellant Gerrod Crawford was convicted of felony murder and other crimes related to the 2015 shooting death of Antonio McBride. On appeal, he contended the trial court should have granted his motion for a directed verdict of acquittal and that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to make a timely objection to an improper statement made by the prosecutor during her closing argument. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Crawford v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Leon Williams was convicted by jury of malice murder, terroristic threats, and three counts of cruelty to children in connection with the drowning death of his ten-year-old autistic and special needs son, Kentae. Williams contended the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his convictions. He also argued that one of his three convictions for cruelty to children should have been vacated because it merged with his malice murder conviction. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Williams v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Appellant Carl Logan challenged his 2017 convictions for malice murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime in connection with the 2012 stabbing and beating death of Anthony Olivet. Appellant’s sole enumeration of error was that the trial court violated his constitutional rights to confront his accusers by preventing him from playing for the jury certain audio-recorded statements that a prosecution witness made to law enforcement officers to impeach the witness on cross-examination. The Georgia Supreme Court determined the record did not support this claim. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the trial court. View "Logan v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Appellant Brian Lewis was convicted by jury of malice murder and concealing the death of another in connection with the beating death of Ronald Redding. Appellant argued: the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient to support his murder conviction; the trial court erred by failing to charge the jury on voluntary manslaughter; he was denied constitutionally effective assistance of counsel; and that the cumulative effect of trial counsel’s errors prejudiced him. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Lewis v. Georgia" on Justia Law