view Case Commentaries

DORSEY v. State: Flight Admissions May Be Intrinsic Evidence Despite an Apparent County Mismatch

Date: Oct 15, 2026

DORSEY v. State: Flight Admissions May Be Intrinsic Evidence Despite an Apparent County Mismatch Supreme Court of Georgia · No. S26A0733 · October 14, 2026 1. Introduction In DORSEY v. State, the...

Unanimous Predicate-Felony Convictions Defeat Plain-Error Challenge to General Knife-Possession Verdict

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Unanimous Predicate-Felony Convictions Defeat Plain-Error Challenge to General Knife-Possession Verdict Case: ALCARAZ v. State, No. S26A0874 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided: October 14, 2026...

Documented Mental-Health Mitigation Can Support Retroactive Suspension Despite Defective Client Withdrawal

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Documented Mental-Health Mitigation Can Support Retroactive Suspension Despite Defective Client Withdrawal Case: In the Matter of Jeffrey Jackson, No. S26Y1385 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia...

Other-Acts Evidence: Affirmative Waiver and Harmless Error Limit Appellate Relief

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Other-Acts Evidence: Affirmative Waiver and Harmless Error Limit Appellate Relief Case: BROWN v. State Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decision: October 14, 2026 Docket: S26A1299 Opinion: Chief...

Alford Felony Pleas Can Warrant Disbarment, but Maintaining Innocence Is Not Automatically Aggravating

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Alford Felony Pleas Can Warrant Disbarment, but Maintaining Innocence Is Not Automatically Aggravating Case: In the Matter of William Taylor Payne Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Case number:...

Untimely Out-of-Time Appeal Motions and Mootness: The Sims Certiorari Dissent

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Untimely Out-of-Time Appeal Motions and Mootness: The Sims Certiorari Dissent Case: SIMS v. State, No. S26C1307 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Date: October 14, 2026 Disposition: Petition for...

Failure of Self-Authentication Alone Does Not Make an Evidence Ruling Appealable by the State

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Failure of Self-Authentication Alone Does Not Make an Evidence Ruling Appealable by the State Case: State v. COOK, No. S26A0898 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided: October 14, 2026 Opinion:...

Surrogate Ballistics Evidence: No Plain-Error Relief Without Prejudice and No Double Counting of Harm

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Surrogate Ballistics Evidence: No Plain-Error Relief Without Prejudice and No Double Counting of Harm Case: OWENS v. State, No. S26A0817 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided: October 14, 2026...

Voluntary Manslaughter Requires Adequate Provocation, Not Mere Proximity to a Threat Against Another

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Voluntary Manslaughter Requires Adequate Provocation, Not Mere Proximity to a Threat Against Another Case: DARBY v. State, No. S26A0892 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decision: October 14, 2026...

Walker v. State: Harmless Other-Acts Evidence and the Limits of Rule 609 Impeachment

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Harmless Other-Acts Evidence and the Limits of Rule 609 Impeachment When a Victim’s Statements Are Not Admitted Case: WALKER v. State, No. S26A0937 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided: October...

Accomplice Corroboration, Direct Evidence, and the Limits of Plain-Error Review in McMullin v. State

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Accomplice Corroboration, Direct Evidence, and the Limits of Plain-Error Review Case: MCMULLIN v. State Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decision date: October 14, 2026 Docket: S26A0723 Opinion:...

Voluntary Surrender as Disbarment for Repeated Bankruptcy Neglect and Conflicted Representation

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Voluntary Surrender as Disbarment for Repeated Bankruptcy Neglect and Conflicted Representation Case: In the Matter of Stanley J. Kakol, Jr. Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Case number: S26Y1842...

Repeated Trust-Fund Misappropriation Warrants Disbarment, with Full Restitution Required for Readmission

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Repeated Trust-Fund Misappropriation Warrants Disbarment, with Full Restitution Required for Readmission Case: In the Matter of Hakeem Bertrand Brock Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Docket: S26Y0645...

Voluntary Manslaughter Instructions: Outcome Prejudice, Conflicting Defenses, and Preservation of Ineffectiveness Claims

Date: Oct 15, 2026

Voluntary Manslaughter Instructions: Outcome Prejudice, Conflicting Defenses, and Preservation of Ineffectiveness Claims Case: DANIELS v. State, No. S26A0787 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided:...

A Reserved Alibi Ruling Is Not Exclusion: Limits on Appellate Review and Ineffective-Assistance Claims

Date: Oct 15, 2026

A Reserved Alibi Ruling Is Not Exclusion: Limits on Appellate Review and Ineffective-Assistance Claims Case: CULPEPPER v. State, No. S26A0744 Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Decided: October 14, 2026...

Montana’s Exhaustion Rule: Permit-Linked Constitutional Challenges Must Await Final Administrative Review

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Montana’s Exhaustion Rule: Permit-Linked Constitutional Challenges Must Await Final Administrative Review Case: GCA v. State, 2026 MT 243, No. DA 25-0808 Court: Supreme Court of Montana Decided:...

Amending Montana Parenting Plans: Changed Circumstances, Best Interests, and Retained Judicial Control

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Amending Montana Parenting Plans: Changed Circumstances, Best Interests, and Retained Judicial Control Case: Marriage of: Sage, 2026 MT 248N, No. DA 26-0148 Court: Supreme Court of Montana Decided:...

Treatment-Plan Success and Child Protection in Montana Parental-Rights Termination

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Treatment-Plan Success and Child Protection in Montana Parental-Rights Termination Case: Matter of S.O. & T.O., YINC Court: Supreme Court of Montana Decision: October 13, 2026; 2026 MT 247N; DA...

Parental-Rights Termination: Protective Capacity, Treatment-Plan Success, and Reasonable Reunification Efforts

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Parental-Rights Termination: Protective Capacity, Treatment-Plan Success, and Reasonable Reunification Efforts Case: Matter of S.O. & T.O., YINC Court: Supreme Court of Montana Decision: October 13,...

Matter of: R.V., A Youth: Determinate Juvenile Commitments Must Respect the Applicable Adult Sentencing Maximum

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Determinate Juvenile Commitments Must Respect the Applicable Adult Sentencing Maximum Case: Matter of: R.V., A Youth Court: Supreme Court of Montana Citation: 2026 MT 244, No. DA 23-0660 Decided:...