Barnes v. State

THOMPSON, Presiding Justice.

In 1993, appellant Joseph Barnes was found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder and armed robbery. His convictions were affirmed by this Court, but his death sentence was vacated based on a finding that the trial court improperly restricted the scope of mitigating evidence presented at the sentencing phase. Barnes v. State, 269 Ga. 345, 360-361 (496 SE2d 674) (1998). After the case was remanded for a new sentencing trial on the malice murder conviction, appellant entered into a sentencing agreement in which he agreed to plead guilty and accept a…