Morning, y’all! I have a consistent response whenever asked if I like true crime. “Nah.” But the reality can’t be dismissed. I loved multiple seasons of “Serial,” as well as “S-Town” and “Making a Murderer.” Oh, and “Only Murders in the Building,” if that counts. And yesterday, when I listened to the trailer for season 11 of “Breakdown,” I gulped. It appears I’ve been lying.
So it’ll be (basically) truth and nothing but the truth from here on out. Or at least through the end of this newsletter.
WRONGFULLY CONVICTED, RIGHTFULLY COMPENSATED
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
There’s a reason the burden of proof in a criminal case lies with the prosecutor. That a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. That the proof must be beyond a reasonable doubt.
Because sending an innocent person to jail/prison/death is an abhorrent thought.
In Georgia, a new state law aims to provide another ember of justice to those who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
Under the statute: People who served prison time for felonies they didn’t commit, had convictions reversed or vacated and were acquitted, pardoned or had charges dismissed are entitled to $75,000 for each year they wrongfully served. Unjust time on death row can mean $100,000 per year.
Previously: People had to navigate the byzantine, highly politicized world of the General Assembly and a little-known board at the secretary of state’s office. Over the years, that led to wildly inconsistent awards — if they were granted at all.
Lingering questions: How many people will come forward with claims? How long will it take for the judges to begin considering requests? How much will each case be relitigated as part of the review process?
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OLYMPIC DREAMS
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The word “unicorn” gets thrown around a lot these days in sports. The descriptor is for an athlete with a fairy tale-like combo of physical attributes and skills. For 6-foot-3-inch volleyball phenom Kari Knotts, the description is apt.
The Marietta native has been selected as the only 14-and-under athlete in the entire country for Team USA’s U19 volleyball division. This story from Sarah K. Spencer includes a video of her leaping ability — touching 10 feet, 9 inches. Again, she is 14!
GEORGIA GOP’S FUTURE?
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
There’s another young star in Georgia to keep an eye on — Ja’Quon Stembridge, a rising sophomore at the University of North Georgia who is the youngest-ever elected member of the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party.
The 18-year-old Greene County native ran a youth-focused campaign and defeated activist Kylie Jane Kremer with 77% of the vote.
He believes his election cuts across stereotypes about Republicans that he is trying to change.
“I realized that everything I learned about the Republican Party was far from the truth. And it was all a misconception that my family learned from generation to generation. It wasn't just the party of rich white men that only cared about themselves, but it was truly the party of hardworking men and women that care about common sense issues."
🔎 Read more on Stembridge and his plans
JEKYLL’S NEW LOOK
Goodbye, decades-old window-service snack bar, ice cream parlor and souvenir stores.
There’s a new Jekyll Island to shop.
Six retailers closed last Labor Day after their landlord, the Jekyll Island Authority, declined to offer lease renewals. The move sparked public outcry that played out in meetings and online forums. Critics expressed concern not only for the threatened shopkeepers but also that Pier Road would lose its mom-and-pop charm.
The AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer writes that all these months later, those fears have diminished as new businesses led by local operators have opened in refreshed spaces. That includes two anchor eateries — a coffee shop from Golden Isles favorite Wake Up Coffee Company and an open-air restaurant and bar named Founder’s Social — that have fostered a sit-and-stay-awhile atmosphere.
📤 We want to know: Have you been? Do you like the changes?
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🗳️ Election board members are required to certify election results, even if they distrust the outcome, according to a Georgia Court of Appeals decision. The decision resolves a dispute that overshadowed the run-up to the 2024 presidential election when the State Election Board passed rules calling for an “inquiry” and more documents before signing off on results.
🫏 Early voting is underway for the Democratic primary runoff for Public Service Commission, but turnout is expected to be so low that many counties are closing polling places.
⚖️ A new state law requires all magistrate judges to be nonpartisan. Some in Georgia want to expand that to include sheriffs and district attorneys.
THE SOUL OF MOREHOUSE
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
For 47 extraordinary years, Lawrence Edward Carter built a legacy that transformed Morehouse College. “Dean Carter,” the school’s towering moral voice and spiritual guide, will step down next June — during a time of transition for Atlanta’s all-male, historically Black college.
Take some time today to read Ernie Suggs’ profile on Carter, who was shaped in no small part by a chance encounter with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
🔎 Elsewhere in education: How Georgia school districts are preparing for cellphone ban ahead of state deadline
NEWS BITES
Hertz customer hit with $440 charge after AI inspection at Atlanta airport
That’s it, UVeye. I’d like to speak to your manager, ChatBot.
Atlanta crypto biz owner caught up in fraud says it’s ‘like living in a James Bond movie’
Lesson here: Keep your crypto close and your IT peeps even closer.
Georgia millionaire wins fight over failed doomsday bunker
A pity they’re gonna scrap the thing. Would make for a killer underground racquetball gym. Can’t find a good court anywhere.
ON THIS DATE
July 8, 1981
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
The Atlanta Journal — Senate expected to OK O’Connor easily. Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor appeared to be well on her way today to confirmation by the Senate as the first woman on the Supreme Court … Not since President Nixon’s decision to open the door to relations with China has a president’s decision so dumbfounded his conservative allies and confounded his liberal foes.
Is it just me, or are we all much more easily dumbfounded these days?
ONE MORE THING
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot. And it’s gonna feel even hotter today — the heat index could hit 105 degrees and higher. Thursday afternoon thunderstorms could bring it down a bit (to feeling like under 100 degrees), so please-please-please, fill up your water bottle.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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