In 2008, the Georgia Supreme Court 4-3 confirmed that defendants could challenge a void conviction under a statute Georgia had carried since 1863. Fourteen months later, after one justice retired, a new 4-3 majority erased the rule. Same statute. Same words. Different result. Article 3 of the No Way Out series.
Two existing Georgia statutes — one from 1863, the other containing the most powerful safety-valve language in Georgia law — could unlock post-conviction justice if anyone would enforce them. Article 1 of the “No Way Out” series.
Georgia’s Chief Justice admits the post-conviction system is “broken.” But the IAC trap is just one lock on the door. Combined with the unconstitutional 4-year habeas deadline, no right to counsel, and restricted legal access, Georgia has built a machine that keeps thousands — including an estimated 2,600 to 5,275 innocent people — locked inside its deadliest prisons.