A former Doraville Police officer and Forsyth County sheriff’s deputy Miles Bryant, who was convicted in Gwinnett County last year in the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales, is seeking a new trial.
Bryant is claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. His attorney argues that testimony from a medical examiner violated evidence rules and allowed the jury to base its verdict on speculation.
Bryant was sentenced to life in prison without parole for Morales’ death, which occurred in July 2022.
A motions hearing was held Thursday in Gwinnett County Superior Court during which Bryant’s attorney zeroed in on his former attorney, Tracy Drake, and her handling of the case. Drake admitted she made mistakes during the trial but added she didn’t want to come across as “to aggressive” to the jury.
The judge did not make an immediate ruling on the motion.