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Reevesv.The State

CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
Docket No.S20A1005
DecidedAugust 24, 2020
Reporter309 Ga. 645
JudgesSupreme Court of Georgia
Tags
CriminalCriminal LawCriminal ProcedureMurder & MayhemTales From the CryptEvidenceMergerSentencingVacatur
Case Summary

Kevin Reeves was convicted of malice murder and numerous related offenses arising from a gunfight at a house party. He challenged the evidence and several sentencing rulings. The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed in part and vacated in part. The court rejected the claims requiring a new trial but identified six merger errors involving aggravated assaults against victims who were also the subjects of attempted armed-robbery convictions. Because the assaults and attempted robberies arose from the same conduct, the assault convictions should have merged into the attempted-robbery convictions for sentencing. The court therefore vacated those six aggravated-assault convictions and sentences while affirming the remaining judgment. The correction did not disturb the murder conviction or require a retrial.

Opinion

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