ATLANTA — The Georgia Supreme Court is raising concerns about the quality of legal representation some criminal defendants are receiving from state-appointed attorneys during the appeals process.
Justices have criticized attorneys for making serious mistakes while handling criminal appeals, including failing to present key legal arguments and submitting court documents containing numerous errors.
In one case, the justices described the mistakes as “confounding and inexcusable.”
The court has identified problems in multiple legal filings, with some cases being sent back for further review because of the errors.
The concerns have raised questions about whether some defendants are receiving the legal representation they are entitled to during the appeals process.
A Georgia House committee is now examining the state’s criminal appeals system and considering ways to address the problems identified by the courts.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Rob Archer contributed to this story.