United States

Georgia Supreme Court: Fournier v. State - Malice Murder Conviction

The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a malice murder conviction for Joey Travis Fournier. The court found no reversible error in the trial court's admission of autopsy photographs or in the ineffective assistance of counsel claim related to objections to those photographs. The conviction stems from the strangulation death of Cynthia Lynn Berry.

Supreme Court Georgia: Wilmington Trust v Ameritas

The Supreme Court of Georgia addressed whether a life insurance policy was void under Georgia law as an illegal wagering contract on human life. The court clarified the circumstances under which a third party can be considered to have "procured or caused to be procured" a life insurance policy, even if the insured played a role.

Rivers v. The State - Appeal of Malice Murder Conviction

The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed Karre Rivers's conviction for malice murder and related crimes. Rivers appealed, asserting the trial court erred in charging the jury on excessive force. The court found no plain error and upheld the conviction and life sentence without parole.

Murphy v. State - Appeal of Murder Conviction

The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed Dacha vous Murphy's convictions for felony murder and other crimes stemming from a 2011 nightclub shooting. Murphy appealed, arguing various trial court errors, including the exclusion of evidence and ineffective assistance of counsel. The court found no reversible error and upheld the convictions.

Jones v. State - Felony Murder Conviction Affirmed

The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the felony murder conviction of Willie Lee Jones. The court found sufficient evidence to support the conviction and rejected the appellant's claim that the evidence was insufficient as a matter of due process. The conviction relates to the shooting death of Benjamin Francis.

Fourth Circuit Denies Petition for Writ of Mandamus

The Fourth Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Roberto Antoine Darden. The petition alleged undue delay by the district court in acting on a motion to alter or amend a previous order. The appellate court found the district court had recently ruled on the motion, rendering the petition moot.

Brandon Case v. Officer Beasley - Opinion Vacated and Remanded

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded the district court's decision in Brandon Case v. Officer Beasley. The court found that genuine disputes of material fact remain regarding the correctional officers' liability and the applicability of qualified immunity in a case alleging Eighth Amendment violations due to deliberate indifference to prisoner violence.

City of Southfield v. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. - Securities Fraud Appeal

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of a securities fraud case against Advance Auto Parts, Inc. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to adequately allege scienter, or wrongful intent, in their claims that the company and its former officers manipulated accounting to mislead investors. The decision upholds the lower court's ruling.

AG Tong Seeks Enforcement of Order Against FEMA Disaster Funding

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 23 states have filed a motion asking a court to enforce its December 11, 2025 order against FEMA. The motion seeks to compel FEMA to reverse its termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program and restore billions in disaster preparedness funding.

Florida AG Secures 21-Year Sentence for Crypto Criminal Targeting Seniors

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a 21.6-year prison sentence for Otiz Swinton Jr. for a crypto fraud scheme targeting seniors. This marks the longest incarceration for a cyber fraud case by the Office of Statewide Prosecution Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit since its founding in 2023.