In the News

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered a temporary halt to death row inmate Stacey Humphreys’ execution, ruling that questions about conflicts of interest involving two parole board members must be resolved before his clemency hearing can proceed. Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP is part of the legal team representing Humphreys, arguing that board members with prior involvement in his case should recuse themselves to ensure a fair clemency process.

After nearly a decade of being barred from Polk County Jail’s ministry program because officials disagreed with his religious beliefs about baptism, volunteer minister Stephen Jarrard will return to his calling following a successful Eleventh Circuit appeal and settlement. Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP’s Zack Greenamyre served on the legal team that secured this First Amendment victory, which affirms that government officials cannot exclude religious volunteers based on disagreement with their beliefs.

Georgia’s Board of Pardons and Parole temporarily suspended the execution of death row inmate Stacey Humphreys after his legal team—which includes Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP—exposed that two board members had conflicts of interest stemming from their involvement in his 2007 trial. The case also involves allegations of juror misconduct that may have improperly swayed the jury toward a death sentence.

MSGF attorney Zack Greenamyre has been honored as one of Georgia Trend magazine’s Legal Elite for 2025. Greenamyre is named as one of the 23 best personal injury attorneys in the state, and is the only attorney on the list primarily dedicated to representing individuals and families in civil rights claims involving police, prison, and other government official misconduct.

A federal lawsuit filed by MSGF attorney Zack Greenamyre alleges that 15 Georgia corrections officers at the Special Management Unit in Jackson retaliated against an incarcerated man for his participation in a class-action lawsuit challenging unconstitutional prison conditions. The lawsuit claims officers severely beat the plaintiff while he was handcuffed and not resisting, threatened to kill him, and intimidated him by referencing his daughter’s address—requiring 23 staples in his head and treatment for a broken hand and concussion.

Mother Marcia Turner disputes Georgia Department of Corrections’ claim that no foul play was involved in the death of her 28-year-old daughter Jodie Turner at Lee Arrendale State Prison, alleging her family was extorted by inmates and her daughter was beaten before dying in custody. Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP is investigating this case involving potential civil rights violations and failure to protect an inmate from known threats within the state correctional system.

A federal judge ruled that former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill cannot continue to challenge his 2022 conviction for violating detainees’ civil rights, clearing the way for a civil case brought by Raheem Peterkin who was restrained in a chair for hours at Hill’s orders. Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP represents Peterkin in the civil suit, which also targets CorrectHealth for enabling Hill’s pattern of abuse.

Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP was recognized as a Law360 Legal Lion for their role in representing a Georgia family in Martin v. United States, where the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution’s supremacy clause cannot shield the federal government from Federal Tort Claims Act suits following a mistaken FBI raid. The decision revived the family’s claim after FBI agents wrongly raided their Atlanta home in 2017, mistaking it for a gang member’s residence and traumatizing the occupants including a 7-year-old child.