Supreme Court of Georgia

Pope v. State

May 17, 2021311 Ga. 557

Summary

The court affirmed Pope’s convictions, holding that trial counsel was not constitutionally ineffective for declining to request a pre-trial immunity hearing in support of Pope’s self-defense theory. Counsel made a strategic choice to withhold the defense theory before trial and present self-defense to the jury, and Pope did not show that no competent attorney would have made that choice. No separate opinions were filed.