On the heels of the resignation several weeks ago of Chief Judge Brooks Blitch III of Homerville, comes news that State Court and Juvenile Court Judge Berrien Sutton has also resigned from that South Georgia circuit, as reported by the Clinch County News.
Sutton was the subject of charges of unethical conduct by the state Judicial […]

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel responds to Cynthia Tucker’s recent criticism of the Supreme Court ruling upholding voter IDs:
Tucker accuses Republican-controlled state legislatures of actively attempting to suppress voter turnout among racial minorities. Again, Tucker is not dissuaded by the facts. Over 97,300 more votes were cast in Georgia’s February presidential primary for Democratic […]

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington, Sr. just dealt a near fatal blow to tort reform.

A Fulton County Superior Court judge has struck down as unconstitutional the state’s $350,000 limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases.
Judge Marvin S. Arrington Sr. signed an order April 28 holding that the limits, approved by […]

Judge Martin has upheld the death penalty in Georgia.

A federal judge in Atlanta on Wednesday rejected arguments that Georgia’s method of execution by lethal injection is unconstitutional.
Ruling from the bench after 90 minutes of arguments, U.S. District Court Judge Beverly Martin found Georgia’s procedures similar enough to Kentucky’s, which were upheld last month by the […]

From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The states were judged on factors that affect tort liability system, ranging from the overall treatment of tort and contract litigation to judges’ competence and impartiality.

Death roams free again.
Georgia’s first execution in almost a year has been set next month for William Earl Lynd, who shot and killed his girlfriend in Berrien County in 1988.
The Department of Corrections has yet to schedule the specific date and time for Lynd’s execution. But the death warrant, signed Tuesday, says Lynd is to […]

Recently, Judge Andrew Mickle of the Municipal Court of Atlanta wrote an interesting commentary on the extreme problems with the State Indigent Defense System and his proposed solutions. Earlier today, Stephen Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights had a chance to respond.

The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld Kentucky’s use of lethal injection executions, likely clearing the way to resume executions here in Georgia that have been on hold for months. (Full Opinion)
There are some people tonight who live here who are not very happy.

Brooks E. Blitch III, the chief judge of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit (which is made up of Lanier, Atkinson, Berrien, Cook and Clinch Counties), and who has been accused of misconduct by a state agency and the Feds, announced today he will resign from his position, effective June 30.
Blitch faced charges by the state Judicial […]

Good Morning America’s weekend news anchor, Ron Claiborne, flew down south to personally interview Fulton Superior Court’s Judge Marvin Arrington. Arrington as you will recall, sent all the white people out of the courtroom the other day before proceeding, from his bench, to scold black defendants appearing before him.
The ABC News piece will air tomorrow on Good […]

Fulton County Judge Marvin Arrington sent the white folk out of his courtroom before lecturing the black folk. (Grandma made him do it.) From the AJC:
Fulton Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington routinely sees young men who are near the end of their line.
The Fulton County judge calls them his “captive audience” and every Thursday — sentencing day — […]

I suspect we should leave well enough alone in this regard, but I understand the desire to fight.

Georgia’s prosecutors have already persuaded lawmakers to phase out a judicial panel that reviews and sometimes reduces prison sentences. Now a former district attorney is going for a complete victory.
In a legal challenge that could affect the sentences […]

This is disturbing.

A teacher and his assistant were behind bars in Newton County Thursday night after being charged with abusing a special education student.
Investigators said the teenage victim is severely handicapped and had no way of speaking up about the alleged abuses against him.  Other people at the school called police for him.

Good on the […]

The Telegraph has a good article on a program at Mercer Law School that gets law students involved in habeas corpus appeals for inmates. Thus far they are on a 10 to 3 winning streak.
I did not know Georgia does not provide attorneys to assist prisoners with these. Hey, at least this gives […]

The legislature is considering reforms to indigent defense. As long as they don’t go back to mandatory service for new lawyers, I’m cool with that.