Murder conviction overturned for Justin Ross Harris, Georgia father who left toddler son in hot car
Justin Ross Harris, a Georgia father convicted of murder after leaving his 22-month-old son Cooper in a hot car, had his case overturned.
The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder conviction of a Georgia father sentenced to life in prison after leaving his 22-month-old son in a hot car, a stunning turn of events in a case that made international headlines.
Chief Justice David Nahmias wrote in an opinion that an "extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence" presented during Justin Ross Harris' 2016 trial affected the jury's guilty verdict. Some of that evidence included graphic images and details about Harris' extramarital affairs.
"Much of this evidence was at best marginally probative as to the alleged offenses against Cooper, and much of it was extremely and unfairly prejudicial. We cannot say that it is highly probable that the improperly admitted evidence did not affect the guilty verdicts that the jury returned on the counts involving Cooper," Nahmias said.
"If Appellant is to be found guilty of those crimes, it will need to be by a jury not tainted by that sort of evidence. For these reasons, we reverse Appellant’s convictions for the counts related to Cooper."
Hot Car Death Dad Sentenced to Life Without ParoleDec. 5, 201601:22Harris was convicted of malice murder and other charges in the June 18, 2014, death of his toddler son Cooper, who was left in Harris' Hyundai Tucson for seven hours in sweltering heat while the father was at work.
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