Benefield v. State Ex Rel. Baker

Carley, Justice.

The dispositive issue in this case is whether Appellant, Superior Court Judge Deborah C. Benefield, lacked subject matter jurisdiction to rule on the constitutionality of OCGA § 17-10-6, which creates the three-judge Sentence Review Panel (Panel). That jurisdictional issue arises out of the criminal prosecution of Ted Griffin. A jury in Clayton County found him guilty of several offenses, including aggravated assault and false imprisonment. As the presiding trial judge, Judge Benefield imposed concurrent sentences of 20 and 10 years respectively, and the Court of Appeals…