Georgia

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has upheld a lower court’s decision clearing Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., of liability in a fatal drunk driving crash involving one of its employees. The case stemmed from an August 2019 collision in which Derrick Khalid Hambrick was killed after being struck by Maurice Watson, a Wells Fargo employee who was driving intoxicated. Hambrick’s estate argued that Wells Fargo violated Georgia’s dram shop law by serving alcohol to Watson before the crash. The court found no admissible evidence that Wells Fargo provided alcohol to Watson. Judges noted that Watson’s statement to police about coming from a “work function” was inadmissible hearsay and that the company had no records of hosting an event that evening. The Eleventh...

APPLING COUNTY, GA — The Appling County Sheriff's Office has arrested 53-year-old Misty Ann Branch of Baxley in connection with the death of 86-year-old Maria D. Nunez, who was killed in a fatal dog attack on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Authorities initially responded to a call at approximately 1200 hours on Popular Lane, where deputies and emergency personnel found Ms. Nunez deceased outside her residence with multiple injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary findings indicate that Nunez was violently attacked by two dogs while in her yard. The dogs believed to be responsible were located and secured by authorities. Her body was transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Pooler for autopsy. Following the investigation, Misty Ann Branc...

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has affirmed the 204-month federal prison sentence of Samuel Storey, a Florida man convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon, after rejecting multiple constitutional and sentencing challenges, including under the Supreme Court’s 2024 Erlinger decision. Storey pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and the district court enhanced his sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) based on three prior Florida drug convictions. On appeal, Storey argued that the statute exceeded Congress’s Commerce Clause authority, violated the Second Amendment, and that the sentencing court erred under Erlinger v. United States by determining—without a jury—that his prior offenses occurred on different occasions. T...

ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) has agreed to pay $875,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and federal common law by failing to comply with required cybersecurity standards in connection with U.S. Department of Defense contracts, the Justice Department announced today. GTRC, which performs research through its affiliate Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), allegedly failed to install or maintain antivirus and anti-malware protections at its Astrolavos Lab during sensitive cyber-defense research for the Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The United States also alleged GTRC had no system security plan in place until at least February 2020 and submitted a false cybersecurity assessment score to...

ATLANTA, GA – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Jordan Patrick Leahy, who was found guilty of violating federal civil rights law after using his vehicle to terrorize a Black family on a Pinellas County road in 2021. According to court records, Leahy, a white man, repeatedly tried to run a car off the road while yelling racial slurs and making gun gestures at the driver, his girlfriend, and his four-year-old daughter. At a red light, Leahy exited his vehicle and attempted to attack the driver, who subdued him until police arrived. Officers reported that Leahy made additional racist remarks at the scene, stating, “[T]hese guys [Black people] are animals, you know what I’m saying? Y’all have to maintain these people, keep them in their—in their areas”. ...

ATLANTA, GA – A federal appeals court has ruled that Sidney Renard Parrish’s lawsuit against the Georgia State Patrol and two of its officers will not move forward because he never officially informed them about the case. According to court records (Case No. 25-10608), Parrish claimed officers falsely arrested him and violated his civil rights. However, the court said he missed the 90-day deadline to serve the lawsuit papers to the people he was suing — something required in all federal cases. Parrish, who filed the case on his own without a lawyer, told the court he faced personal hardships. But the judges said he didn’t show a valid reason, like relying on bad legal advice or something outside his control, that would excuse the delay. Since Parrish still has time to refile t...

THOMASVILLE, GA – Authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating Kendra Murray, who was last seen on August 13, 2025, around 1:00 p.m. in the area of 600 North Madison Street. According to the Thomasville Police Department, Murray was reported to have left the area as a passenger in a black Ford F-150. She may be in the Tallahassee area. Anyone with information about Kendra Murray’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Thomasville Police Department.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – Master Firefighter Preston Fant, a 21-year veteran of DeKalb County Fire Rescue, died in the line of duty after responding to a warehouse fire Monday afternoon. According to Fire Chief Darnell Fullem, Fant was attempting to rescue a fellow firefighter when he became overcome by fire conditions and was trapped during the response on South Stone Mountain Lithonia Road. He was later rescued himself and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. More than 12 firetrucks and 30 firefighters responded to the blaze, which broke out on a movie production company’s property. Fullem said Fant is the first DeKalb County firefighter to die in the line of duty while battling a fire. Fant spent his 21-year career with Company 24, stationed a...