Justin Chapman’s arson and murder convictions were overturned more than a year ago, but his life out of prison has been a tense waiting game ever since. Would prosecutors put him back on trial or end the long-running legal drama that put him in state prison for eight years?

Chapman, who has always maintained his innocence, recently learned the answer to that question.

The case against Chapman was chronicled last year in the first season of "Breakdown: Railroad Justice in a Railroad Town," a podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The podcast detailed the alarming breakdowns in Georgia's criminal justice system throughout Chapman's prosecution and appeals.

In this special update episode of “Breakdown,” legal affairs writer Bill Rankin follows what happened after the state prosecutors’ fateful decision last month. And for the first time, Rankin interviews Chapman extensively about his life out of prison and what the future holds.

Keep Reading

Juneteenth Atlanta fest founder and director Bob Johnson greets a child in a vendor food truck Sunday.

Credit: Justin Price

Featured

Aerial photo shows demonstrators holding signs to oppose Trump’s immigration policies during “No Cake for False Kings” protest on the 17th Street NW Bridge, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC