Supreme Court of Georgia
State v. Randall
January 17, 2024318 Ga. 79
Summary
The court vacated the trial court’s suppression order because the trial court addressed Randall’s constitutional challenges before deciding whether the refusal evidence should be excluded under the statutory rules of evidence. The court held that the trial court must first determine whether the evidence is relevant and, if so, whether its probative value is substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice under Rule 403. The constitutional claims may be reached only if the evidentiary issues do not resolve the suppression motion.