GA Supreme Court allows suspect's calls to be used as evidence in Clark Atlanta student's death
The Georgia Supreme Court has reversed a Fulton County court's decision to exclude a murder suspect's jail phone calls from evidence.
Barron Brantley and his girlfriend, Jordyn Jones, have been awaiting their trial in the 2019 murder of Alexis Crawford, who was Jones' roommate. Police said the Clark Atlanta student was strangled and smothered with a plastic bag before the couple left her body in a plastic bin at a DeKalb County park near their apartment.
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Prosecutors said Brantley made several 'incriminating statements' during his calls from jail, none of which were to his attorneys.
Brantley's attorneys filed a motion to have those calls tossed out as evidence. A Fulton County judge ruled that the calls would violate the defendant's Constitutional rights to privacy.
The Fulton County District Attorney's Office appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which heard the case in February. On Tuesday, the court rejected the defense's motion to dismiss the DA's appeal.
'The court has further concluded that the trial court erred in holding that the district attorney's access to the recorded calls violated Brantley's state and federal rights to privacy,' they said in the ruling.
Fulton County court records currently do not show a trial date for Brantley or Jones.
The State vs Brantley Supreme Court by WSB-TV Assignment Desk on Scribd
RELATED STORIES:
Warrants reveal how Clark Atlanta student Alexis Crawford was killed
What we know about the Alexis Crawford murder
911 call gives insight into what led up to Clark Atlanta student's killing
Couple indicted in slaying of Clark Atlanta student
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