After he crossed the threshold, he broke into tears.
In the seventh and final episode of Breakdown, we find out whether Justin Chapman gets to walk out of prison after serving eight years in confinement. A South Georgia judge has already ruled in his favor, throwing out his convictions, but the state appeals that decision to the Georgia Supreme Court. Listen to Episode 7 of "Breakdown: railroad justice in a railroad town."
Photos
Videos
Documents
Timeline
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- John Rains speaks
- John Rains, lawyer for Justin Chapman, speaks in front of the Georgia Supreme Court Justices during a hearing on Jan. 21, 2015, regarding whether Chapman should get a new trial. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)
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- Senior Assistant Attorney General Paula Smith
- Paula Smith, Senior Assistant Attorney General, speaks in front of the Georgia Supreme Court Justices during a hearing on Jan. 21, 2015, regarding a new trial granted to Chapman. Smith was representing the state, which opposed a new trial for Chapman. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)
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- Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson
- Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, center, speaks as Presiding Justice P. Harris Hines, left, and Justice Robert Benham, right, listen during a hearing on Jan. 21, 2015, regarding whether Justin Chapman should get a new trial. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)
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- Michael Caplan and other lawyers
- Lawyers for Justin Chapman — Michael Caplan, center, and John Rains, right confer as Franklin J. Hogue, left, listens during a Georgia Supreme Court hearing on Jan. 21, 2015, regarding whether Chapman should get a new trial. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)
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- Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias
- Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias speaks during a hearing on Jan. 21, 2015, regarding whether Justin Chapman deserves a new trial. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)
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- Watch parts of Chapman's bond hearing
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- Behind the making of the musical score
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- Supreme Court grants new trial
Timeline
Justin Chapman’s case has seen many twists and turns since the 2006 arson fire that took his neighbor’s life. This timeline marks the major events in the case. More events will be added to the timeline with each episode as Chapman’s story unfolds.
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