Two Crisp County Men in Jail Following Drug Sweep
Four months after a multi-agency investigation began, authorities arrested two men on various drug trafficking-related charges. GBI Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration all collaborated on the drug trafficking investigation, which targeted a 26-year-old Cordele resident, who was an alleged drug lord. At the end of the […]
The Athens Murders: Thirty-Five Years Later
Clinton Bankston Jr. turned 17 on May 12, 1988. That was also the day he received five consecutive life sentences. Regardless of your perspective on this case, that’s a terrible birthday present. In April 1987, police found the bodies of UGA professors Glenn and Rachel Sutton, who had been stabbed multiple times, wrapped in carpet. […]
Five Examples of Theft in Georgia
Although religious scholars broke it down further, the original “thou shalt not steal” invective was only one rule. Modern Georgia law technically contains six theft prohibitions. However, my web guy said people are more likely to read odd-numbered listicles (five reasons why, seven reasons why, etc.). So, we’ll go with five for purposes of this […]
Beating DUI-Drug Charges in Cobb County
Section 40-6-91(a)(2) charges are a real bad news/good news thing. The bad news is that, at least theoretically, these charges are easy to prove in court. Under the law, prosecutors need only prove that the defendant was “Under the influence of any drug to the extent that it is less safe for the person to […]
New Jail Release Options in Cobb County
Comprehensive bail reform is sweeping through the country. These reinvent-the-wheel reforms have had mixed results. However, comprehensive bail reform hasn’t happened in Georgia, and it probably won’t happen. The Peachtree State has one of the lowest unsentenced inmate percentages in the nation. So, while lawmakers have embraced some tweaks, there’s a very strong “if it […]
Solid, Discredited, and Questionable Scientific (Forensic) Evidence in Criminal Cases
The landmark 1993 Supreme Court decision Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals was technically a civil case that pertained to expert witnesses. However, this case also has broad implications for criminal cases. This ruling makes a judge the gatekeeper regarding scientific evidence. Basically, the judge, and the judge alone, decides if scientific evidence is reliable enough […]
Wanted: Appeals Lawyers to Represent Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers
Officials are having trouble finding attorneys to represent Greg McMichael, who was sentenced to life, and Roddie Bryan, who was sentenced to 35 years, as they appeal their federal hate crime convictions in Ahmaud Arbery’s murder. Georgia Public Defender Council attorney Kenneth Sheppard told the judge his organization would only represent Timothy McMichael, since “he […]
Fulton County DA Says She’ll Keep Using Rap Lyrics as Evidence
Fani Willis advised local hip-hop artists to “get out of my county” if they didn’t want inflammatory song lyrics used as evidence against them in court. At issue is an August indictment alleging that the Drug Rich gang targeted influencer and celebrity homes for burglary or other misdeeds. Earlier that month, Willis used similar evidence […]
Georgia Man in Custody Following Funeral Fight
A Chesterfield man faces multiple criminal charges after he allegedly fired a gun into the air during a funeral. Police investigators say a fight broke out at a funeral. During that fight, a man pulled out a pistol and fired two shots into the air. Rosalinda Rivera, an associate pastor at New Life Outreach International […]
Ex-Lawmaker Sentenced on Stalking Charges
A Bulloch County State Court Judge sentenced a former Georgia State Representative to twelve months of probation after he pleaded guilty to stalking a former employee. Delvis Dutton was charged in April 2021 with stalking and trespassing at the home of a former employee and trying to contact the employee. He was also charged with […]
