Opinion ID: 4529052
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Indictment and Trial in State Court

Text: In 2006, a state court grand jury indicted Smith and her husband, Joseph, on charges of malice murder (Count 1), three counts of felony murder (Counts 2, 3, and 4), five counts of cruelty to children in the first degree (Counts 5, 8, 10, 12, and 14), three counts of aggravated assault (Counts 6, 9, and 11), and two counts of false imprisonment (Counts 7 and 13). Smith and Joseph pled guilty to all counts. Over the course of an eight-day trial, the jury heard testimony from multiple witnesses, including three Cobb County, Georgia firemen who responded to the Smiths’ home on the date of Josef’s death; five Cobb County police officers; Josef’s former babysitter; Josef’s brother, Mikel; and several medical experts. Collectively, that testimony showed that Smith and her husband “routinely disciplined their son . . . by beating him with glue sticks, belts, and heated coat hangers; locking him in confined spaces for extended periods of time; and tying his hands with rope.” Smith v. State, 703 S.E.2d 629, 633 (Ga. 2010). It further showed that, on the day of Josef’s death, Smith beat Josef; forced him into a wooden box, beating him about the head as she did so; and tied the box shut with a cord. Id. Testimony from the medical experts established Josef’s death resulted from some combination of the physical abuse he suffered and asphyxiation. Id. 3 Case: 19-12877 Date Filed: 04/27/2020 Page: 4 of 16 After both the state and defense had rested, the case proceeded to closing arguments. As relevant here, at the end of her rebuttal, the state prosecutor lit candles on a birthday cake and stated the following: I was thinking about something the other day. I was thinking about birthdays. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Josef. Happy birthday to you. There are eight candles on that cake. But you know what’s not on there? One more candle for his 9th birthday, because he didn’t get to see that. You may think that’s harsh, but it’s true. And it was at the hands of those people. Neither Smith’s counsel nor her husband’s counsel objected, and the district court did not intervene on its own or issue a curative instruction. Following deliberations, the jury found Smith and her husband guilty of one of the counts of felony murder (Count 2), four counts of cruelty to children (Counts 5, 8, 10, and 12), all three counts of aggravated assault (Counts 6, 9, and 11), and one count of false imprisonment (Count 13). 2 The jury also found Smith and her husband guilty of the lesser included offense of involuntary manslaughter as to the charge of malice murder in Count 1, and the lesser included offense of reckless conduct as to the charge of cruelty to children in Count 14. Smith and Joseph were acquitted of two counts of felony murder (Counts 3 and 4), and one count of false 2 The felony murder count for which Smith was convicted (Count 2) alleged that Smith caused Josef’s death “while in the commission of a felony, to wit: Cruelty to Children in the First Degree.” 4 Case: 19-12877 Date Filed: 04/27/2020 Page: 5 of 16 imprisonment (Count 7). The state trial court imposed a sentence of life plus 30 years for both Smith and her husband.