The Pennsylvania Superior Court has vacated the sentences of Bryan Robert Freeman and David Jonathan Freeman, ordering that they be resentenced by a different judge. The appeals court found that the trial judge, the Honorable Douglas G. Reichley, should have recused himself from the resentencing proceedings because of his prior…
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Gang Members’ Murder Convictions Upheld in Georgia Supreme Court Ruling
The Georgia Supreme Court has affirmed the murder and racketeering convictions against Terrence Upshaw, Roderick Glanton, and Homer Upshaw for a deadly 2021 shooting, rejecting several claims concerning the admission of past crimes and the sufficiency of evidence. The case stems from a June 14, 2021, incident near the Wilson…
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Appellate Court Upholds Sentence, Finds No Judicial Bias in Empathy for Child Victim
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the prison sentence imposed on Trina Mae Johnson, who was convicted of severe child abuse offenses. Johnson had argued that the district court judge’s expressions of deep sympathy and empathy toward the young victim during the sentencing hearing violated her due process…
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Eighth Circuit Upholds Denial of Compassionate Release for Inmate with Extensive Medical Issues
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has affirmed a district court’s decision to deny Robbie Dean Fetters compassionate release, despite the inmate presenting a lengthy list of serious and worsening medical conditions. The appellate court found that the lower court did not abuse its discretion when…
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Jury Trial Win Upheld: Georgia Supreme Court Affirms Murder Conviction Despite Hearsay and Ineffective Counsel Claims
The Supreme Court of Georgia has affirmed the malice murder conviction of Travis Smith, who was found guilty by a jury for the 2014 shooting death of Cortez Dowell. In a decision issued January 5, 2026, the high court rejected Smith’s numerous arguments, which centered on the admission of evidence,…
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Georgia Supreme Court Upholds Life Without Parole Sentence for Murder Convict
The Supreme Court of Georgia has affirmed the conviction and life sentence without parole for Christopher Sellers, who was found guilty of malice murder and other charges stemming from the 2019 shooting death of Thedarious Mitchell. The high court rejected Sellers’ challenges regarding the sufficiency of the evidence, the trial…
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Georgia Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Plea Withdrawal in Murder Case
The Supreme Court of Georgia has affirmed a trial court’s decision to deny Cornelius Murray’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea for the malice murder of Willie Jacox, concluding that the plea was entered knowingly and voluntarily despite Murray’s later claims of misunderstanding and ineffective counsel. Murray, who pled guilty…
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Georgia Lawyer Gets 12-Month Suspension for Misconduct While Public Official
The Supreme Court of Georgia has accepted the voluntary discipline petition of attorney Stephanie Dianne Woodard, imposing a 12-month suspension for her admitted professional misconduct stemming from actions taken while serving as the Solicitor General of Hall County. This decision marks the second time the high court has reviewed Woodard’s…
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Supreme Court Affirms New Trial for Child Abuse Convict Over Lawyer’s Conflict of Interest
The Supreme Court of Georgia has affirmed the decision to grant a writ of habeas corpus to Tamara Nicole Weaver, overturning her previous convictions for child cruelty and assault. The state’s highest court found that Weaver’s trial lawyer operated under an actual conflict of interest stemming from his prior representation…
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Knife Brandishing at Motel Leads to Affirmed Assault Conviction
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has upheld a simple assault conviction against Brenton Joseph, ruling that his actions—including pulling out and opening a folding knife while aggressively approaching a hotel employee—were sufficient to constitute an attempt, by physical menace, to place the victim in fear of imminent serious bodily injury. The…