Judge Says Budget Cuts Could Deny Justice

The state's next top chief justice is warning that more budget cuts to the judicial branch would mean more delays in an array of legal cases. Justice Carol Hunstein said Tuesday it is crucial for the courts to have the financial resources to operate efficiently. Hunstein said the adage "justice delayed is justice denied" is apt. She said justice is being denied to some residents because of the sharp budget cuts. Hunstein takes over as Georgia's top judge on July 1. Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears is stepping down at the end of this month.

(Associated Press)

Court Rules Left-Turn Law Unconstitutional

Georgia’s “left turn” law is unconstitutional, according to the state’s highest court. The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous ruling Monday finds that the left-turn law is "unconstitutionally vague" because it fails to clearly specify how to turn into multi-lane roadways. It stems from a 2007 incident in Whitfield County in which a driver making a left turn onto a four-lane road was pulled over for turning into the outer, right-hand lane of the two lanes heading east. The Dalton police officer claimed the law required the driver to turn into the inner, left-lane closer to the oncoming traffic.

(Associated Press)

Divided Court Upholds Murder Conviction

A divided Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction and life prison sentence given to a man who shot and killed his girlfriend after learning of her affair with a DeKalb County police officer. Michael S. Shields was convicted of murdering Denise Hill in 2002. He had appealed the conviction on several grounds, including concerns that the trial court gave the jury incomplete instructions regarding adultery. The majority decision in the Georgia Supreme Court's 4-3 decision Monday found Shields' challenges to "be without merit." Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein disagreed in a dissent, concluding that she would reverse the conviction because of the erroneous jury charge.

(Associated Press)

Court upholds high-profile conviction

Georgia's top court is upholding the murder conviction of a Massachusetts millionaire for hiring an assassin to kill his wife. The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous ruling today rejected a bid for a new trial for James Sullivan. He is serving life in prison for paying a hit man $25,000 to gun down Lita Sullivan at her Atlanta townhouse in 1987. James Sullivan's attorneys had argued that a search warrant used to get crucial evidence from Sullivan's $5 million Florida mansion was incorrect.

Vaccination dispute in State Supreme Court

A couple who sued a drug manufacturer when their son stopped speaking after receiving his childhood vaccinations will argue their case before the State Supreme Court today.

Marcelo and Carolyn Ferrari are appealing a lower court ruling that protects vaccine manufacturers against liability lawsuits.

Georgia law requires all children be vaccinated against potentially deadly diseases like Diptheria, Tetanus, and whooping cough.

Supreme court upholds soldier's conviction

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a soldier for participating in the beating, stabbing and incineration of a fellow infantryman. The court released an order today in which it upheld the conviction and life sentence for for Mario Roberto Navarrete in the July 2003 slaying of Specialist Richard Davis. The killing took place a day after the five had returned to Fort Benning after serving a six-month tour in Iraq. The case served as inspiration for the 2007 film "In The Valley of Elah."

Lawmakers craft new sex offender bill

House Republicans are pushing a new bill that would limit where sex offenders may live in Georgia. The state Supreme Court overturned a previous bill’s ban on sex offenders living within a thousand feet of any place where children congregate. The new bill would create exceptions including allowing a sex offender who owns a home to stay if a place like a day care center opened up within a thousand feet. Another exception would allow sex offenders with established employment to keep their jobs if a day care center opened nearby.

High court sides with public defenders

In a high-profile death penalty case, the state Supreme Court ruled today the state public defender's office does not have to publish the amount of money its spent representing dozens of death penalty defendants. The ruling overturns a lower-court order to release the records. Those records include the case of accused courthouse shooter Brian Nichols. Nichols’ public defenders blame his nearly 2-million dollar defense tab for draining resources for other Georgia death penalty cases.

Death row appeal continues

Today the state Supreme Court heard arguments on why another death row inmate shouldn’t be executed. John Hightower is scheduled to die tomorrow. Today his lawyer told justices that Hightower deserves to live because he has remorse and has tried to redeem himself in prison. Hightower was convicted of killing his wife and two stepdaughters in 1987. A decision is expected later today.