Ep. 5: What the new defense team found

Episode 5 of “Breakdown: railroad justice in a railroad town” reviews some of the most critical breakdowns in the prosecution of Justin Chapman for murder and arson.

In the process, we learn of several pieces of evidence that Chapman's public defender Jan Hankins says she never received, and are introduced to witnesses that Hankins never had time to visit.

In this first season of Breakdown, senior legal affairs writer Bill Rankin goes deep inside the Chapman case, exploring where the criminal justice system broke down. You can listen to the Breakdown podcast below, or visit www.ajcbreakdown.com for the first five episodes, plus photos, articles, videos and more related information.

College football player killed in DeKalb fire remembered for kind spirit

Georgia Military College student and football player Izaiah Taylor, who had been a standout at South Gwinnett High School, was home for the holidays when the fire ignited.

Fulton commission approves reduced contract with LifeLine Animal Project

Decision to transfer animal calls from LifeLine to Fulton police comes four months after the death of a woman whose mauling case was mishandled, according to county officials.

Ethics Board advances probe into complaint against Henry County chair

The investigation is into whether Carlotta Harrell unlawfully directed the removal of county employees from an ethics hearing in which they had been subpoenaed to testify.

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