Case Title: Watson v. State

Citation: 276 Ga. 212, 576 S.E.2d 897

Docket Number: S02G1813

State: georgia

Court: Georgia Supreme Court

Date: 2003-02-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
576 S.E.2d 897 (2003) 276 Ga. 212 WATSON v. The STATE. No. S02G1813. Supreme Court of Georgia. February 10, 2003. Gordon, Brown & Eberhardt, Gerald W. Brown, Athens, for appellant. William T. McBroom III, Dist. Atty., Thomas J. Ison, Jr., Josh W. Thacker, Asst. Dist. Attys., for appellee. THOMPSON, Justice. In Watson v. State, 256 Ga.App. 789, 570 S.E.2d 30 (2002), the court affirmed the imposition of a fine in conjunction with a prison sentence for the offense of criminal attempt to traffic in cocaine. We granted certiorari, and reverse. In both Gonzalez v. State, 201 Ga.App. 437, 411 S.E.2d 345 (1991), and Raftis v. State, 175 Ga.App. 893(7), 334 S.E.2d 857 (1985), the Court of Appeals held that the clear language of OCGA § 16-13-33[1] precludes the imposition of a fine in conjunction with a prison sentence for conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. We agree with the reasoning of those cases. And since OCGA § 16-13-33 by its terms applies equally to attempt and conspiracy, it clearly precludes a fine in the present case. As was explained so aptly in Raftis, supra at 898, 334 S.E.2d 857: Since under OCGA § 16-13-33, a conviction for criminal attempt to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act does not authorize the imposition of a fine, Watson, supra, is reversed to the extent that it holds to the contrary. Judgment reversed. All the Justices concur. [1] OCGA § 16-13-33 provides: Any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense defined in this article [Georgia Controlled Substances Act, OCGA § 16-13-1 et seq.] shall be, upon conviction thereof, punished by imprisonment not exceeding the maximum punishment prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy.