(Photo: "Under the Influence 2014" by CZR-E for the Come Up Show / CC BY 2.0)

(VERDICT UPDATE: After a weeklong trial, a Fulton County Superior Court jury issued a verdict in favor of Young Jeezy (given name Jay Jenkins) in the lawsuit brought by former business associate Demetrius Ellerbee (also known as "Kinky B"). The jury specifically found that Ellerbee was not entitled to half of Jeezy's earnings under the terms of the singer's contract with Def Jam Recordings, also a defendant in the case. In addition, the jury found in favor of Jeezy on the other counts of Ellerbee's complaint, alleging conversion and RICO Act violations. Courtroom View Network will continue to cover this story, including video clips of trial highlights, as it develops, and complete gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial will be available on CVN's website as soon as possible.)

Attorneys in their closing statements often call into question the testimony of key opposing witnesses. In a recent DeKalb County State Court case, however, the plaintiff’s attorney instead went after a number of specific statements made by the defense attorney in his opening statement, which plaintiff’s counsel painted as part of the “bullying” tactics adopted by the defense in the case. Stephanie Nelson v. Ryan Beiner and Rural/Metro Corporation (13-A-47097-2).

A key pretrial ruling by Fulton County State Court Judge Diane Bessen on a novel question of Georgia product liability law may have paved the way for a settlement following a $29 million compensatory damages verdict in a recent wrongful death case. Efrain Hilario and Gabina Martinez Flores v. Newell Recycling of Atlanta, Inc. (12EV015400).

Covington, GA—A man whose outpatient gall bladder operation turned into over eight months of hospitalization and six years missed from work lost his Newton County Superior Court med mal case against the surgeon who performed the initial operation. William Ron Aiken and Sherri T. Aiken v. Newton Health System, Inc., and Steven Whitworth, MD (2011-SU-CV-2533-1)