The Georgia Supreme Court has affirmed the murder conviction and life sentence of Travis Smith in connection with the July 2014 shooting death of Cortez Dowell, rejecting his claims that the trial court erred in admitting certain evidence and denying his motions for mistrial.

The court's decision, issued Jan. 5, 2026, upholds Smith's conviction on multiple charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and firearm possession charges. Smith was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder charge, plus additional consecutive time for firearm violations.

The case stems from the July 27, 2014, shooting death of Cortez Dowell. A Fulton County grand jury indicted Smith on Nov. 25, 2014, on seven counts including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

At trial in June 2016, a jury found Smith guilty on six of the seven counts. The prosecution dismissed one count of firearm possession after the verdict. The trial court sentenced Smith to serve life without parole on the malice murder count, five years concurrent on one firearm charge, and five years consecutive on another firearm charge. The remaining counts were merged into the malice murder conviction, though the felony murder counts were actually vacated by operation of law.

Smith's path through the appeals process proved lengthy and complex. He initially filed a motion for new trial on June 29, 2016, but the motion was subsequently amended multiple times through different counsel - first in 2019, then again in 2022 and 2025. This pattern of amendments with changing representation delayed resolution of the case for nearly a decade.

Following a hearing in March 2025, the trial court denied Smith's amended motion for new trial on April 1, 2025. Smith then filed a timely notice of appeal, which was docketed to the August 2025 term of the Georgia Supreme Court and submitted for decision on the briefs without oral argument.

In his appeal, Smith raised several arguments challenging his conviction. He contended that the trial court erred by admitting certain testimony that he claimed was prejudicial or improper. Smith also argued that the trial court should have granted his motions for mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct or other trial errors.

The appeal also appears to include claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, though the complete record of Smith's arguments was not fully detailed in the available court documents. Such claims are common in serious felony cases and typically allege that defense counsel's performance fell below professional standards in ways that prejudiced the defendant's case.

The Georgia Supreme Court's decision to affirm the conviction indicates that the justices found no merit in Smith's claims. The court determined that any alleged errors in evidence admission were either proper under Georgia law or did not rise to the level of reversible error. Similarly, the court apparently concluded that the trial court acted within its discretion in denying Smith's mistrial motions.

The case demonstrates the deliberate pace of the appeals process in capital and serious felony cases. From Smith's initial conviction in 2016 to the Georgia Supreme Court's final ruling in 2026, the case spent a full decade working through the state court system. Multiple amendments to the motion for new trial and changes in counsel contributed to the extended timeline.

Smith's conviction carries severe consequences. The life sentence without possibility of parole on the malice murder charge means Smith will spend the remainder of his natural life in prison. The additional consecutive five-year sentence on the firearm charge ensures he cannot seek any form of early release even if future legal developments might otherwise affect his murder sentence.

The case also illustrates Georgia's tough stance on repeat firearms offenders. Smith faced multiple charges for firearm possession by a convicted felon, indicating he had prior criminal convictions that prohibited him from legally possessing weapons. These charges carried additional penalties beyond the murder conviction.

With the Georgia Supreme Court's affirmation of his conviction, Smith has exhausted his direct appeals in the state court system. His next option would be to file a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, though the high court accepts only a small percentage of such petitions for review.

Alternatively, Smith could pursue post-conviction relief through habeas corpus proceedings, though such claims face significant procedural hurdles and typically must raise issues not previously litigated on direct appeal. The finalization of Smith's direct appeal brings closure to a case that has spanned more than 11 years since Dowell's death.