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Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies What a Defendant Must ‘Admit’ Before Raising an Affirmative Defense
by Douglas Ankney
The Supreme Court of Georgia clarified that a criminal defendant need not “admit” anything — in the sense of acknowledging that any facts alleged in the charges against him are true — in order to raise an affirmative defense.
Carlos Richard McClure was found …
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Oklahoma: Cocaine Bust Was Really Only Powdered Milk, by Edward Lyon
- Freedom or Restitution for the Wrongfully Convicted, by Jayson Hawkins
- Eighth Circuit: Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty to State Felonies Didn’t Know He Couldn’t Possess Firearms Prior to Sentencing Because He Didn’t Know He Had Been Convicted, by Anthony Accurso
- Sheriff Ackal’s Corruption Continues to Plague Louisiana Parish, by Douglas Ankney
- Court Rulings Condemning Cash Bail Systems Increasing, by Edward Lyon
- In Case of First Impression, Fourth Circuit Holds First Step Act Applies to Those Serving Supervised Release Revocation Sentences, by Dale Chappell
- First Circuit Vacates Conviction Because Sister had Neither Actual nor Apparent Authority to Consent to Search of Brother’s Bags, by Douglas Ankney
- South Carolina Supreme Court Grants New Trial Due to Prosecutor’s Prejudicial Closing Remarks, by Douglas Ankney
- 3d Circuit: Counsel’s Failure to Investigate Drug Properties for Analogous Drug Comparison at Sentencing Constitutes Ineffective Assistance, by Douglas Ankney
- Fourth Circuit Clarifies How to Bring a First Step Act Motion Applying the Fair Sentencing Act, by Dale Chappell
- New York Court of Appeals: Police Officers May be Cross-Examined About Acts of Dishonesty Like Any Other Witness, by Douglas Ankney
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies What a Defendant Must ‘Admit’ Before Raising an Affirmative Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Colorado Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Because Trial Court Failed to Give No-Adverse-Inference Jury Instruction for Choosing Not to Testify, by Douglas Ankney
- Fifth Circuit Holds Davis Retroactive, Conspiracy Cannot Support 924(c) Convictions, by Dale Chappell
- Book Review: The Habeas Citebook: Prosecutorial Misconduct Is an Invaluable Resource for Challenging Prosecutorial Misconduct, by Dale Chappell
- Idaho Supreme Court: Where Police Were Unaware of Probationer’s Fourth Amendment Waiver Until After Unreasonable Search, Waiver Won’t Make Search Reasonable, by Douglas Ankney
- Illinois Supreme Court: Statute Banning All Sex Offenders on Probation From Accessing or Using Social Networking Websites Facially Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
- Second Circuit Affirms District Court’s Decision Setting Aside Guilty Verdict in a Case of Irreconcilably Inconsistent Verdicts, by Douglas Ankney
- Sixth Circuit: Grant of Habeas on Grounds that State Trial Court Violated Defendant’s Right to Present a Complete Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Oregon Supreme Court: Conviction for Interfering with Police Requires Lawful Order, by Mark Wilson
- Montana Supreme Court Holds Automatic 35% Drug Fine Facially Unconstitutional, by Dale Chappell
- Alaska Police Department Run by Former Convicts, by Kevin Bliss
- Washington Supreme Court Affirms Warrantless Search of CSLI Data but Holds Convictions for Both First-degree Rape and Felony Murder Predicated on Rape Violate Double Jeopardy, by Douglas Ankney
- Hundreds of Dishonest Cops Called as Witnesses, by Jayson Hawkins
- 11th Circuit: General Threat of Harm Inherent in Every Bank Robbery Doesn’t Qualify for ‘Threat-of-Death’ Enhancement, by Douglas Ankney
- Which Makes Us Safer? Residency Restrictions or Enhanced Rehabilitation for Former Sexual Offenders?, by Sandy Rozek
- New York Criminal Record-Sealing Program Revisited, by Edward Lyon
- In Case of First Impression, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Holds Compelling Suspect to Disclose Computer Password Is Testimonial in Nature and Violates Fifth Amendment’s Privilege Against Self Incrimination, by Douglas Ankney
- Thousands of Convictions Questioned; Prisoners Released Show Why Law Enforcement Technology Must Be Tested by Third Parties, by Dale Chappell
- Washington Supreme Court Announces Rules for Trial Courts When Implicit Racial Bias Alleged in Jury Decision, by Douglas Ankney
- To Compute, or Not to Compute: Algorithm-Driven AI in the Criminal Justice System, by Edward Lyon
- Ninth Circuit Holds Evidence from Martinez Hearing Can Be Considered in Granting Habeas Relief, Despite Bar Against Evidentiary Hearings on Facts Not Raised Below, by Dale Chappell
- Indiana Supreme Court Announces Analytical Framework When Determining Whether Punitive In Rem Forfeiture Violates Excessive Fines Clause, by Douglas Ankney
- Hundreds of Cop Shootings Yearly in Arizona, by Edward Lyon
- Federal District Court Grants § 2255 Motion, Finds IAC for Failure to Object to Government’s ‘Misstatement of Law’ During Trial, by Dale Chappell
- California Supreme Court Overturns Its Warrantless Identification Search Precedent, by Dale Chappell
- First Circuit: Application of Subsequent Guidelines Manual to a Prior, Ungrouped Offense Violates Ex Post Facto Clause, by Douglas Ankney
- Nullify Government Tyranny: In 2020, Harness the Power of Your Discontent, by John W. Whitehead
- Oregon Parole Board Must Explain Reason for Extended Parole Postponement Period, by Mark Wilson
- California Supreme Court Holds Confidential Personnel Information of Officers on Internal ‘Brady List’ Can Be Disclosed to Prosecutors, by Dale Chappell
- From the Editor, by Richard Resch
- Why Are Cops Around the World Using This Outlandish Mind-Reading Tool?, by Ken Armstrong, Christian Sheckler
More from Douglas Ankney:
- The Trial Penalty: How America Abandoned the Right to Trial, Nov. 15, 2025
- Third Circuit Upholds Award of $265,000 to Prisoner Who Was Sexually Assaulted Twice by the Same Guard, Aug. 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Announces When Initial § 2255 Petition Not Decided on Merits and Appeals Court Later Recalls Mandate Dismissing Direct Appeal and Affirms Conviction, Subsequent § 2255 Petition Not ‘Second or Successive’ Under AEDPA, Aug. 1, 2025
- $340,000 for Former Massachusetts Prisoner Whose Baby Was Stillborn, July 15, 2025
- New Jersey Supreme Court Refuses Guard’s Challenge to Firing for Failing to Report Kiss with Prisoner, July 15, 2025
- New York City Loses Bid to Withhold Jail Records, July 15, 2025
- Eleventh Circuit Announces New Deliberate Indifference Framework in Dismissing Georgia Prisoner’s Claim for Skipped Anti-Seizure Meds, July 15, 2025
- Washington Jail Settles DOJ Allegations of ADA Noncompliance in Failure to Treat Opioid Use Disorder, July 15, 2025
- Ohio Supreme Court Says Sheriff Must Get and Disclose Records of Private Contractors, July 15, 2025
- Third Circuit Rejects U.S. Sentencing Commission Amended Compassionate Release Policy, July 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- South Carolina Supreme Court Announces Traditional Four-Element Standard for When Person Has Right to Use Deadly Force in Self-Defense Not Applicable to Non-Deadly Force Self-Defense Analysis, May 15, 2025. Defenses, Jury Instructions.
- Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Standard for Determining Whether a Defendant Is Entitled to Jury Instructions on Self-defense and Defense of Others, May 15, 2025. Defenses, Jury Instructions, Jury Instructions in Jury Room.
- Ohio Supreme Court Announces Self-Defense Jury Instruction Does Not Require Intent to Harm or Kill Assailant, Oct. 1, 2024. Defenses, Jury Instructions, Motive/Opportunity/Intent/Identity Evidence.
- New Jersey County Not Entitled to Defense or Indemnification by the State in Suit Alleging Exposure of Jail Detainees, Feb. 4, 2020. Strip Searches, Defenses.
- Sixth Circuit: Grant of Habeas on Grounds that State Trial Court Violated Defendant’s Right to Present a Complete Defense, Jan. 21, 2020. Defenses, Habeas Corpus.
- Former Seventh Circuit Judge Posner Founds Short-Lived Project to Help Pro Se Litigants, Jan. 9, 2020. Defenses.
- Arkansas Supreme Court Rules Justification Defense Available When Charged With Manslaughter, June 17, 2019. Defenses.
- Deadly Force Mindset as Justifiable Defense Questioned, April 12, 2019. Defenses.
- Supreme Court of Alaska Announces Court System Bears Costs of Expert Evaluation When Insanity or Diminished Capacity Raised as Defense, March 15, 2019. Defenses, Expert Witnesses, Mental Health.
- Georgia Defense Attorney Wins Another ‘Jury-Nullification’ Case, Aug. 19, 2018. Defenses, Juries.





