Legal Opinion
Drake v. State
Supreme Court of Georgia
Decided May 20, 1980No. 35817PublishedCited by 48 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
Nichols, Justice.
This is the direct appeal of Luther Thomas Drake, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Donald Evans. The state did not seek the death penalty.
On September 9, 1972, Donald Evans, the pastor of the McIntosh Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia, was found dead near the doorway of his home. He had been shot four times with a .32 caliber pistol. Death was caused by a gunshot wound through his head. The homicide appeared to be murder but the crime went unsolved for approximately six years.
During 1978, Jack Beckom and Drake were arrested and indicted…
2Cases cited22 opinions
- Jackson v. VirginiaSupreme Court of the United States · 1979
- Massiah v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1964
- Hoffa v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1966
- Johnson v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1976
- Crawford v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1980
17 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by48 opinions
- Ross v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1985
- Raulerson v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1997
- Harwell v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1999
- Owens v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1981
- Floyd v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 2000
43 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.