Ellison v. State

── Ellison v. State ── Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Date: April 21, 2026 Category: General NOTICE: This opinion is subject to modification resulting from motions for reconsideration under Supreme Court Rule 27, the Court’s reconsideration, and editorial revisions by the Reporter of Decisions. The version of the opinion published in the Advance Sheets for the Georgia Reports, designated as the “Final Copy,” will replace any prior version on the Court’s website and docket. A bound volume of the Georgia Reports will contain the final and official text of the opinion. In the Supreme Court of Georgia No. S26A0752 Deon Altron Ellison v. The State On Appeal from the Superior Court of Hall County No. 23CR1109APP Decided: April 21, 2026 PETERSON, Chief Justice. Deon Altron Ellison appeals his convictions for felony murder and a firearm offense, stemming from the 2023 shooting death of his cousin, Jeremiah James Bonds. 1 Ellison argues that the trial court erred in denying him a new trial because (1) the verdicts were inconsistent, and (2) the State engaged in various forms of misconduct regarding its handling of a witness. He also 1 The crimes were committed in the early morning of August 4, 2023. On August 30, 2023, a Hall County grand jury returned an indictment charging Ellison with malice murder, felony murder predicated on aggravated assault, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. At a trial from October 29 to November 1, 2024, a jury acquitted Ellison of malice murder but found him guilty of the other charges. On November 4, 2024, the trial court sentenced Ellison to life in prison for felony murder and a consecutive sentence of five years of probation for the firearm count; the aggravated assault count merged. Trial counsel filed a timely motion for new trial, which was amended by trial counsel in April 2025. Following a hearing, the trial court denied the motion in an order entered on December 11, 2025. Ellison filed a timely notice of appeal, and the case was docketed to this Court’s April 2026 term of court and submitted for consideration on the briefs. argues that the trial court erred by (3) improperly restricting voir dire and (4) denying a motion for mistrial based on improper closing argument by the State. We conclude that (1) any inconsistencies among the verdicts do not present a basis for reversal, (2) Ellison failed to make the requisite showing of prosecutorial misconduct, (3) the claim about voir dire is not preserved, and (4) neither is the claim that the trial court erred in denying a mistrial over the State’s closing argument. We affirm. In the early morning hours of August 4, 2023, Ellison, Bonds, and Ellison’s girlfriend Brittney Lawrence were travelling together in Ellison’s car from the Atlanta area towards Gainesville, where Ellison lived. Bonds was driving. As the vehicle exited I-985 at Exit 24 in Hall County, Ellison fatally shot Bonds in the back of the head while Bonds was still sitting in the driver’s seat with his seat belt on, his foot on the gas pedal, and a gun magazine in his pocket. Ellison fled the scene and was apprehended without incident later that day. Ellison admitted to officers that he shot Bonds and gave various explanations for the shooting, including that he had acted because he was in fear for his life. Ellison argued self-defense at trial and testi