Compton v. State

── Compton v. State ── Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Date: June 02, 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. S26A0227 Javaris Compton v. The State On Appeal from the Superior Court of Hancock County No. 2021SUCR007 Decided: June 2, 2026 LAGRUA, Justice. Appellant Javaris Compton appeals his conviction for malice murder related to the stabbing death of Rashad Bolton. 1 On appeal, Compton argues that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion for a mistrial. Because Compton failed to preserve this issue for appeal, we affirm. The evidence presented at trial showed that, on January 4, 2021, Compton and Bolton were incarcerated and shared a cell at 1 Bolton was killed on January 4, 2021. On March 25, 2021, a Hancock County grand jury indicted Compton for the following counts: malice murder (Count 1); felony murder predicated on aggravated assault (Count 2); and aggravated assault (Count 3). Compton was tried from April 29 to 30, 2024, and the jury found him guilty on all counts. The trial court sentenced Compton to life without the possibility of parole on Count 1. The remaining counts merged or were vacated by operation of law. Compton filed a timely motion for new trial, which he later amended through new counsel on May 19, 2025. After holding a hearing on the motion, the trial court denied the motion on August 5, 2025. Compton filed a timely notice of appeal, and his case was docketed to this Court’s term beginning in December 2025 and submitted for a decision on the briefs. Hancock State Prison. That morning, Compton and Bolton were locked inside their cell when Correctional Officer Joshua Andrews heard inmates yelling his name. The inmates told Officer Andrews, “That dude in the next cell need help. If you don’t get him some help, he going to die.” Officer Andrews approached Compton and Bolton’s cell, where he observed that Bolton had blood on his chest and appeared to be injured. Officer Andrews then handcuffed Bolton and Compton through the cell door’s open “flap.” When the emergency response team later arrived and opened the cell door, Officer Andrews observed that Compton had “jumped” his handcuffs by moving them from his back to his front. Compton then pulled a “shank” from his pants, which the correctional officers took from him. Bolton did not have a weapon, and no weapons were found in Compton and Bolton’s cell. 2 After Compton was removed from the cell, correctional officers took him to the medical unit. While Compton was there, Warden Annettia Toby asked if he was okay. Compton responded that he “did not want Bolton in his room,” “was having some family issues on the outside,” and wanted to be left alone. In his sole enumeration of error, Compton argues that the trial court abused its discretion by declining to grant a mistrial after the State introduced evidence that Compton refused to speak to an investigator after being advised of his Miranda rights. 3 At trial,