Court rejects self-defense arguments
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the conviction against Anthony Jabbar Shaw of the 2009 murder of Baron Harbin of Smyrna.
The court rejected Shaw’s argument that he should be granted a new trial because a Cobb County judge failed to instruct the jury that one acting in self defense has no duty to retreat. According to the court’s opinion, Harbin confronted Shaw at his apartment and left, but Shaw got a kitchen knife and followed Harbin outside and fatally stabbed him in a scuffle.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
