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.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
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.
