A life sentence was imposed on Decatur County man Deonte T’varis Smith in Supreme Court for violently shaking and killing his 2-month-old child in 2012.

In February 2014, Smith was convicted of felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.

Smith immediately appealed the sentence, arguing judicial error based on the trial judge’s decision to overrule the prosecution’s questioning of Smith’s tattoos. The Georgia Supreme Court found no error and affirmed the lower court’s judgement.