A Georgia father, whose toddler son died in a hot car, has been released from jail after serving time for related charges. According to court records, Harris was released from jail on June 16.
What Happened: In June 2014, Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son, Cooper, in a hot car for seven hours, leading to the child’s death. Harris was convicted of murder in 2016 and sentenced to life without parole.
Legal Developments: In 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned Harris’s murder conviction, citing prejudicial evidence presented during the trial. Prosecutors decided not to retry Harris for murder, acknowledging the challenges posed by the court’s decision.
Current Status: Harris was released from Macon State Prison and transferred to Cobb County Jail, where he served out the remainder of his sentence on pornography charges.
Catch Up Quick: Harris’ original conviction was overturned because prosecutors relied heavily on character issues that the Georgia Supreme Court ruled were not pertinent to the death of Cooper. With that evidence being deemed irrelevant and inadmissible, prosecutors determined they would be less successful retrying the case.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
