Blackwell v. Georgia

In Case Number S17A1928, Samuel Blackwell appealed his convictions for malice murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, all in connection with the fatal shooting of Deirdre Smith and the wounding of two children. Blackwell challenged the sufficiency of the evidence of his guilt, the effectiveness of his trial counsel, and certain instructions to the jury. In Case Number S17A1929, the State appealed the trial court’s denial of its motion to vacate Blackwell’s sentence of life in prison for murder as void and to enter a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Finding no reversible error in either case, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed. View "Blackwell v. Georgia" on Justia Law