The Georgia Supreme Court (SCOGA) has upheld the murder conviction and sentence given a Gainesville man who was convicted two years ago in the shooting death of his cousin.
Deon Altron Ellison appealed his convictions for felony murder and a firearm offense, stemming from the shooting death of Jeremiah James Bonds which occurred Aug. 4, 2023, in a vehicle with the
Ellison exiting I-985 northbound at Exit 24/Jesse Jewell Parkway, according to an earlier story. Ellison and Bonds began to argue, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, and as the argument escalated, Ellison pulled a handgun and shot Ellison in the head. The vehicle traveled into a ditch where it came to a stop. Ellison fled the scene in the direction of the Rabbittown community, touching off a massive, daylong manhunt. Ellison was captured early that evening.
In appealing his conviction and sentence, Ellison argued that the trial court erred in denying him a new trial because (1) the verdicts were inconsistent, and the State engaged in various forms of misconduct regarding its handling of a witness. He also argued that the trial court erred by improperly restricting voir dire and denying a motion for mistrial based on improper closing argument by the State. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Merriam Webster defines voir dire as a preliminary examination to determine the competency of a witness or juror.)
“We conclude that (1) any inconsistencies among the verdicts do not present a basis for reversal, (2) Ellison failed to make the requisite showing of prosecutorial misconduct, (3) the claim about voir dire is not preserved, and (4) neither is the claim that the trial court erred in denying a mistrial over the State’s closing argument,” the court ruled.
All justices affirmed except P.J. Warren who did not participate in the deliberations.
The 15-page opinion can be accessed here: 26a0752.pdf