Georgia

Lawyer convicted of wife’s murder argues only he can represent her estate in wrongful death case

A former Atlanta lawyer convicted of felony murder in the fatal shooting of his wife is arguing that only he has the right to represent her estate—and that means a wrongful death suit filed against him by the estate must be tossed. The former lawyer, 77-year-old Claud “Tex” McIver, was…

May 20, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Man accused of sexually abusing teen and keeping her in dog cage gets time served

A Georgia man who pleaded guilty to cruelty to children for sexually abusing a runaway teen girl and holding her captive will not have to go back to jail. Michael Wysolovski, 33, of Duluth was sentenced last week to served time of eight months in jail, followed by nine years…

May 2, 2019 4:10 PM CDT

Justice system helmed by black women serves community

In South Fulton, Georgia, black women account for the entirety of the municipal court staff. They bring a different perspective to implement innovative programming that can help ease often-strained community relationships.

Apr 1, 2019 2:05 AM CDT

Former BigLaw lawyer awarded $6.3M for brain injury caused by parking garage pipe

A former lawyer with Hunton & Williams has been awarded $6.3 million for a brain injury caused when she hit her head on a low-hanging pipe in the Atlanta parking garage used by people at the law firm. The lawyer, Aja Diamond McCoy, suffers “unpredictable and severe” pain from the…

Mar 28, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

District attorney says testing rape kits is ‘our moral imperative’

In less than four years, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s national rape kit testing program has led to 186 new arrests and 64 new convictions, including 47 felony sexual assault convictions. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. also announced that more than 55,000 rape kits have been tested in 32…

Mar 14, 2019 3:42 PM CDT

Ex-attorney on the run after failure to report to jail; his mother was found dead

A disbarred Georgia attorney facing 15 years in jail for defrauding clients out of their settlement checks remains on the run after police suspect that he stabbed his 77-year-old mother to death over the weekend. Richard Merritt, a former personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer from Smyrna, Georgia, was ordered…

Feb 6, 2019 2:04 PM CST

District attorney accused of retaliatory defamation is protected from suit, 11th Circuit says

Qualified immunity protects a former Georgia prosecutor accused of defaming a man in retaliation for his bid for wrongful-conviction compensation, a federal appeals court has ruled. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta tossed the suit by former prisoner Douglas Echols against Spencer Lawton, who was Chatham County’s…

Jan 30, 2019 7:00 AM CST

ABA urges Supreme Court to review constitutionality of fixed-bail system

The ABA has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the constitutionality of money bail systems that don’t give adequate consideration to ability to pay.

Jan 29, 2019 12:04 PM CST

Atlanta’s John Marshall placed on probation for noncompliance with program, admissions standards

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School has been placed on probation by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar as of Dec. 13. According to the probation notice posted online, the law school is out of compliance with Standards 301(a) and 309(b), which deal…

Dec 14, 2018 11:48 AM CST

Judge tells lawyers in Florida recount battle to ‘ramp down the rhetoric’; Georgia delay ordered

Judges in Florida and Georgia are grappling with a growing number of lawsuits over election results. In Florida, the chief circuit judge in Broward County ruled against a request for the impoundment of voting machines by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who had a slim lead in a U.S. Senate race…

Nov 13, 2018 9:39 AM CST

Who won these races? Lawyers sue over ballot counting

Ballots are still being counted in some tight races in Florida, Georgia and Arizona, even as lawyers head to court to challenge the procedures being used. In Florida, there are tight high-profile races for governor and the Senate, while in Georgia there is a thin-margin gubernatorial contest. The vote counting…

Nov 9, 2018 2:27 PM CST

Voting rights groups win orders to expand polling hours in Georgia and Texas

Voting rights groups on Tuesday won court orders expanding polling hours in locations in Georgia and Texas, while also filing a suit seeking to keep Georgia’s secretary of state from overseeing the vote count in his gubernatorial bid. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law succeeded in obtaining extended…

Nov 7, 2018 10:59 AM CST

Ballot measures give felons the right to vote, overturn Jim Crow-era jury law and legalize marijuana

Beyond the fight for Congress, voters across the country were presented with major criminal justice reform initiatives on Tuesday's ballot.

Nov 7, 2018 9:33 AM CST

Voting litigation heats up with 6th Circuit decision for purged Ohio voters

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Ohio must accept provisional ballots in the midterm elections from some voters because they received vague notices informing them they could be purged from the rolls. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Cincinnati ruled after the U.S. Supreme Court held in…

Nov 1, 2018 9:37 AM CDT

Judge sentences ex-magistrate to life in prison, then grants him a new trial as ‘13th juror’

Updated: A Georgia judge sentenced a former magistrate to life in prison for murder and aggravated assault last Thursday, then granted him a new trial on his own motion.

Oct 31, 2018 2:20 PM CDT