- Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
- Affirmative Recovery
- American Indian Law and Policy
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appellate Advocacy and Guidance
- Business Litigation
- Civil Rights and Police Misconduct
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial/Project Finance and Real Estate
- Corporate Governance and Special Situations
- Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy
- Domestic and International Arbitration
- Health Care Litigation
- Insurance and Catastrophic Loss
- Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation
- Mass Tort Attorneys
- Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- Personal Injury Attorneys
- Telecommunications Litigation and Arbitration
- Wealth Planning, Administration, and Disputes
Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
Ediscovery, Applied Science and Economics, and Litigation Support Solutions
-
June 30, 2022Anne Lockner Elected Chair of The Fund For Legal Aid
-
June 30, 2022Ashton Batchelor Named Chief Value and Analytics Officer
-
June 23, 2022Robins Kaplan’s Antitrust Class Action Practice Recognized as Leader In The Field For Fourth Consecutive Year
-
July 14, 2022Summer Associate Webinar
-
July 18, 202240th Annual Public Justice Gala & Awards Presentation
-
July 21, 2022MAIBA Scholarship Golf Tournament
-
June 21, 2022Briefly: How To Oppose An Extension If You Really Need To
-
June 7, 2022Damned if You Do,
Damned if You Don’t -
June 7, 2022Take-Home COVID: The New Frontier?
-
July 1, 2022Markets Close Out Worst First-Half Performance in 50 Years
-
June 30, 2022Spirit Again Delays Shareholder Vote on Frontier Deal After JetBlue Sweetens Bid
-
June 29, 2022Despite Headwinds, Disney Reappoints Chapek as CEO Through 2025
Find additional firm contact information for press inquiries.
Find resources to help navigate legal and business complexities.
Robins Kaplan Secures Freedom for Mother Wrongfully Convicted of Murdering Her Newborn
August 5, 2021
Robins Kaplan, along with the Georgia Public Defenders Council and Wisconsin Innocence Project, recently secured justice for parents who were wrongfully convicted of murdering their newborn over 12 years ago.
In 2009, Ashley and Albert Debelbot noticed a small bump on their three-day-old daughter’s forehead. They rushed her to the emergency room, where she died a few hours later. The state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, opining that she had died as a result of intentional blunt force trauma to her head, and Ashley and Albert were arrested. At their trial, the medical examiner’s testimony was the sole evidence that a crime had occurred. Both parents were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In 2014, a Robins Kaplan team joined with attorneys from the Georgia Public Defenders Council to represent Ashely Debelbot pro bono in post-conviction proceedings. Together with the Wisconsin Innocence Project, which represented Albert Debelbot, the combined legal teams presented evidence that the jury had never heard, including that the newborn’s head grew at 10 times the normal rate, she suffered a stroke-like event in utero that caused her brain to swell, and the autopsy findings didn’t match those of blunt force trauma.
Despite all medical evidence, the post-conviction court denied the defendants’ motion for a new trial. The case was then brought before the Georgia Supreme Court, and the court unanimously granted Ashley and Albert a new trial. In April of 2021, all charges against Ashley and Albert were dismissed.
Related Publications
Damned if You Don’t
In Times of Crisis:
Related News
If you are interested in having us represent you, you should call us so we can determine whether the matter is one for which we are willing or able to accept professional responsibility. We will not make this determination by e-mail communication. The telephone numbers and addresses for our offices are listed on this page. We reserve the right to decline any representation. We may be required to decline representation if it would create a conflict of interest with our other clients.
By accepting these terms, you are confirming that you have read and understood this important notice.