Justia Georgia Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Rico Orlando Walker was convicted by jury for the 2006 murder of Steven Harley and other crimes. On appeal, he contended he received ineffective assistance of counsel. The Georgia Supreme Court concluded, after review of the trial court record, that Walker made no showing as to how he may have been prejudiced by his trial counsel’s alleged failures. Therefore, the Court affirmed his conviction. View "Walker v. Georgia" on Justia Law

In 2005, Appellant Calvin Foster shot and killed his estranged wife, Daphne Foster (“Daphne”). He was tried and convicted of malice murder and a firearm offense in 2006, but the Georgia Supreme Court reversed the convictions in Foster v. State, 656 SE2d 838 (2008). In 2009, Appellant was retried and convicted of the same offenses. After long delays in post-trial proceedings, he appealed, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support his convictions and that the trial court gave inconsistent jury instructions. Finding no reversible error this time, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Foster v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Jamal Foreman was tried by jury and convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with the fatal shooting of Wreno Dantoine Fain. Foreman appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions, he was denied due process when the State suppressed exculpatory evidence, and that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel when his lawyer failed to adequately investigate and present evidence to support an alternative theory of the crime. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Foreman v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Betty Jacobs was convicted by jury for the murder of her ex-husband, Davis Jacobs, and possession of a handgun during the commission of a crime. On appeal, she argued she received ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Jacobs v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Joshua James Cox was convicted by jury of felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of Terrell Clark. Cox appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions; he was denied effective assistance of counsel; and that the trial court erred in denying Cox’s motion for mistrial, erred in admitting Cox’s custodial statement into evidence, and erred in denying Cox’s motion to excuse the jury pool. Finding no reversible error, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Cox v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Tobias Daniels was tried by jury and convicted of malice murder and other crimes related to the 2015 shooting death of Mikell Wright and attempted robbery of Mikell’s brother, Rodregus Wright. Daniels argued on appeal the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction, and that the trial court erred in sustaining the State’s challenge to two of Daniels’s peremptory strikes and by failing to apply the rule of lenity in sentencing him for criminal attempt to commit armed robbery instead of aggravated assault. The Georgia Supreme Court concluded after review that the evidence was sufficient to support Daniels’s convictions, that the trial court did not commit reversible error in rejecting two of Daniels’s peremptory strikes, and that the trial court did not err in sentencing Daniels to attempted armed robbery instead of aggravated assault. View "Daniels v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Corey Smith was convicted by jury for the murder of Patricia Burley. On appeal, he claimed the trial court erred in denying his motion for a new trial because he received constitutionally deficient assistance of trial counsel. The Georgia Supreme Court disagreed after review of the record, and affirmed Smith’s conviction. View "Smith v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Hajja Kenyatta Martin was convicted by jury of felony murder, arson in the first degree, concealing the death of another, and eight firearms charges in connection with the shooting death of Ralph McGhee. Martin appealed pro se, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, and contending that: (1) the trial court erred in admitting evidence of a prior conviction; (2) in allowing the prosecutor to argue that Martin’s claim of self-defense was based on lies; and (3) in instructing the jury. He also contended he received ineffective assistance of counsel. After review, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed Martin’s convictions for felony murder, arson, concealing the death of another, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The Court vacated in part and remanded, however, for the correction of sentencing errors regarding his convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. View "Martin v. Georgia" on Justia Law

James Cooper was convicted by jury of murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony in connection with the 2015 stabbing death of his nephew, Ricky Hall. Cooper appealed, arguing the evidence was insufficient to support his murder conviction. The Georgia Supreme Court concluded the evidence was sufficient, and affirmed. View "Cooper v. Georgia" on Justia Law

Defendant Calvin Glenn and co-defendant Delron Glenn were convicted of malice murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of John Tanner. On appeal, Calvin contended the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions, and that the trial court erred in denying his motion in limine to exclude certain identification evidence. The Georgia Supreme Court disagreed and affirmed Glenn’s convictions. View "Glenn v. Georgia" on Justia Law