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Hendersonv.The State

CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
Docket No.S18A1153
DecidedDecember 10, 2018
JudgesSupreme Court of Georgia
Tags
CriminalCriminal LawCriminal ProcedureEvidenceIneffective Assistance of CounselMurder & MayhemTales From the CryptMotion for New Trial
Case Summary

A jury convicted Frank Henderson of felony murder, aggravated assault, and influencing a witness after evidence that he directed an attack on Monica Davis and later pressured a participant to accept responsibility and recant statements to investigators. The Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the convictions. The Court found the evidence sufficient and rejected Henderson’s request for a new trial as a matter of law because appellate courts do not exercise the trial court’s discretion on general grounds. It also rejected his ineffective-assistance claims, applying the requirement that he show both deficient performance and resulting prejudice. Henderson’s challenges to testimony about his relationship with the participant and prior conduct were either unsupported by adequate record citations or harmless in light of the extensive evidence of his involvement. The Court emphasized that an appellate court will not search the record for arguments omitted or inadequately developed in a brief. All Justices concurred in the judgment.

Opinion

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Henderson V. The State — The Atlanta Gleaner