Taylor v. State
290 Ga. 245
| Ga. | 2011Background
- Appellant Nathaniel Taylor was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault for the October 21, 2005 shooting death of Lewis West.
- West initially accused appellant (also known as “Reddy B”) of stealing marijuana, leading to an argument and threats to burn West.
- On the day of the shooting, two men fired at West in an open field; West identified the shooter as “Freddy B” before dying.
- Appellant later traveled, retrieved a travel bag, and arranged a ride toward Atlanta, while confessing by phone to Purchetta Weston that he had shot someone who died.
- While awaiting trial, appellant allegedly confessed to a federal prisoner, Bynes, that he killed West due to a robbery of drugs and described shooting details; witnesses recanted some trial testimony.
- Appellant challenged only the effectiveness of his trial counsel on appeal.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ineffective assistance for circumstantial-evidence instruction | Taylor | Taylor | No prejudice; no reversible error |
| Sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a murder conviction | Taylor | Taylor | Evidence sufficient beyond a reasonable doubt |
Key Cases Cited
- Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984) (ineffective-assistance standard)
- Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307 (1979) (sufficiency of evidence standard)
- Holiday v. State, 272 Ga. 779 (2000) (prior inconsistent statements admissible as substantive evidence)
- Griffin v. State, 262 Ga. App. 87 (2003) (prior inconsistent statements admissible; credibility issues)
- Robinson v. State, 277 Ga. 75 (2003) (presumed reasonable professional conduct of counsel; Strickland framework)