FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, M CM ILLI A N, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

Nov em ber 18, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A2 43 4 . BIRDSONG v . THE STATE.

P H I P P S , Sen i o r Ap p el l at e J u d g e.

Fo l l owi n g a ju ry t ri al

, Th o m as Ed ward Bi rd s o n g was f o u n d g ui l t y o f arm ed

ro b b ery (OCGA § 16 -8 -4 1). H e ap p eal s fro m t he d en i al o f h i s am en d ed m o t i o n fo r

n ew tri al

, co n t en d i n g t h at he ab an d o n ed h i s effo rt t o co m m i t t h e cri m e an d

, t h u s

, t h at

t h e ev i d en ce was i n s u ffi ci en t t o s u s t ai n hi s co n v i ct i on

. Fo r t h e reas o n s t h at fo l l o w,

we affi rm

.

W e rev iew t h e ev i d en ce i n th e li g h t m o s t fav o rab l e t o t h e p ro s ecu t i on , u n d er

t h e s t an d ar d s e t f

o r t h i n Ja cks o n v. Vi rg i n ia

, 4 43 U. S. 3 0 7

, 3 1 9 (III) (B) (9 9 SCt

2 7 8 1 , 6 1 LE2 d 5 6 0 ) (1 9 7 9 ), t o d i s cern wh et h er an y rat i o n al t ri er o f fact co u l d h av e

fo u n d t he es s en t i al el em en t s o f t h e cri m e b ey o nd a reas o n ab l e d o u b t

. W e d o n o t ju d g ewi t n es s cred ib i l i t y or wei g h t he ev i d en ce, n o r do we res o l v e ev i d en t i ary co nfl i ct s

, as

t h o s e m at t ers are fo r t h e ju ry

.

Th e ev i d en ce ad d u ced at t ri al s h o ws t h at i n lat e No vem b er o r earl y Decem

b er

2 0 1 2

, Bi rd s o n g h ad l u nch at th e h o m e o f a fo rm er co -wo rk er, J am ar Terrel l

. M arcu s

Ru t led g e an d an o th er fri en d o f Bi rd s o n g ’ s

, wh o was no t id en t i fi ed

, were al s o t h ere.

Th e fo u r b eg an t al ki n g ab o u t ro b b i n g a p art i cu l ar W el ls Farg o Ban k b ran ch

. 1 Th e

u n i d en t i fi ed fo u rt h m an d eci d ed n o t t o p art ici p at e, b u t B i r d s o n g o ffered t o s u p p l y

g u n s an d p ro v i d ed Terrel l an d Ru t led g e wi t h a 9 -m i l l i m et er h an d g u n an d a s h o t g u n

t o b e u s ed i n t h e ro bb ery

. Bi r d s o n g a l s o h e l p ed p l an t h e ro b b ery

. He w as t o b e t h e

g et away d ri v er an d k eep a l oo k o u t fo r p ol i ce, h o nk i n g t h e h o rn t o al ert t h e o t h er m en

i f he saw l aw en fo rcem en t ap p ro ach i n g

. He d ev el o p ed t h e i d ea t o h av e Ru t led g e an d

Terrel l en t er t h e b an k fro m s ep arat e l o cat i o n s

, an d h e s et a n earb y Ci t go g as s t at i o n

as t h e l o cat i o n wh ere h e wo u l d p i ck t h em u p aft er t he ro b b ery

. He al s o cam e u p wi th

an i dea to rep o rt t he sh o tg u n

, wh i ch b el on g ed t o h i s b ro t h er, as s to l en aft er t h e

ro b b ery

. Al l t h ree m en m et s ev eral t i m es t o t rav el t o an d s co p e o ut t h e l o cat i o n o f t h e

1 Terrel l an d Ru tl ed g e bo t h p l ed g u i l ty t o arm ed ro bb ery

, an d b o t h t es t i fi ed at

Bi rd s o n g’ s t ri al

.

2ro b b ery b efo reh an d

. Th e m en ag r e e d t o s p l i t t h e p ro ceed s aft er t h e ro b b ery

, an d

Bi rd s o n g was t o recei v e a o n e-t h ird s h are.

On t h e day o f t h e ro b b ery

, t h e m en d ro v e i n t wo cars

, o n e b e l o n g i n g to

Bi rd s o n g an d t h e o t h er t o T errel l

. T h ey p ark ed Terrel l ’ s car at t h e Ci t g o an d t rav el ed

t o a W al -M art i n Bi rd s o ng ’ s car. Al l t h ree m en wen t i n t o th e W al -M art an d Ru t l ed g e

s t ol e am m u n i t io n fo r th ei r g u ns

. Bi rd s o ng th en dro v e t hem b ack t o ward t h e b an k

. He

d ro p ped Terrel l o ff in fro n t o f a p i zza res t au ran t n ea r t he b an k, an d h e d ro p p ed

Ru t led g e o ff o n t h e d ri v e-t h ru si d e, as t h ey h ad pl an n ed

. Bi rd s on g was t o wai t fo r t h e

m en b ack at Ci t g o , n ear Terrel l ’ s p ark ed car.

Ru t l ed g e an d Terrel l t h en wal k ed i nt o t he b an k weari n g m as k s an d bran d i s h i n g

t h e g u n s

. T h e y dem an d ed m o ney fro m t he t el ler an d fo rced ev ery o n e t o li e o n t h e

fl oo r an d p u t t h ei r h an ds b eh i n d t h ei r h ead s

. A t el l er p u t m o n ey i n b ag s

, as d i rect ed

.

Ru t led g e g rab b ed t he b ag s , an d h e an d Terrel l fl ed wi t h m o re t h an $ 1 0 ,4 0 0

. Terrel l

t es t i fi ed t h at t h ey ran “ to t h e Ci t g o wh ere T h o m as Bi rd s o n g wo u l d b e wai t i n g t o d ri v e

u s away .” W h en t h ey g o t t o t h e Ci t g o p ark i n g area wh ere t h ey h ad p l an n ed t o m eet

,

Bi rd s o n g was n ot th ere. Rat her, h e was s i t t i n g i n h is car at t he Ci t g o g as p u m p s

. Th ey

t ri ed t o s i g n al h i m

, bu t h e was l o o k in g away

, s o t h ey i n s t ead g o t i n t o Terrel l ’ s car. As

t h ey d ro v e away

, t hey s aw t h at Bi rd s o n g was fo l l o wi n g t h em i n h i s v eh i cl e. Th e t el l er

3h ad s l i pp ed a t rack i n g d ev i ce i n t o a b ag o f cas h an d t h e p ol i ce g av e ch as e, b u t Terrel l

an d Ru t led g e ab an d o n ed t h ei r car an d fl ed o n fo o t

. Po l i ce reco v ered a s h o t g u n

, t wo

b ag s o f m o n ey

, an d a m as k i n o r n ear t he ab an d o n ed v eh icl e. Po l i ce t rack ed Terrel l

d o wn u s i n g h i s car reg i s t rat i o n

, an d l earn ed of Ru t l ed g e an d Bi rd s o n g t hro u g h h i m

.

Th e p o l i c e g av e Bi rd s o n g ’ s p h o t o g rap h an d car d es cri p ti o n t o m ed i a o u t l et s

.

Fo l l o wi ng t h e b ro ad cas t s , Bi rd s o n g t u rn ed h i m s el f i n t o p o l ice.

In a p ol ice i n t erv i ew, a v i d eo o f wh i ch was p l ay ed fo r t h e ju ry

, Bi rd so n g t o ld

p o l i ce t h at h e d i s cu ss ed t h e b an k ro b b ery wi t h th e o t h er m en wh i le th ey were al l

o u t s i d e th e b an k

, b ut h e d en i ed k n o wi n g wh en t h e ro b bery wo ul d o ccu r. H e s ai d t h e

p l an was fo r h i m t o be t h e g et away d ri v er, an d h e t ol d p o l i ce wh ere h e w as s u p p o s ed

t o wai t

. He s ai d t h at t h e o th er m en “ wan t ed m e t o b e t h e wat ch o u t m an ,” an d t h at h e

t h o u g h t ab o u t i t b u t b eg g ed off at t h e “ l as t m o v em en t” b ecau se h e was afrai d

. He t o ld

p o l i ce h e fo l lo w ed t h e m en t o a s t o re n ex t t o t h e ban k an d t h at wh i l e t h ey en t ered t h e

b an k, h e wen t i n t o th e s t ore fo r s n ack s

. W h en he em erg ed

, h e saw p ol i ce su rro u n d i n g

t h e b an k

, at wh i ch p o i n t h e “ k n [e] w t h ey d id it .” He s ai d he t h en d ro v e away fro m t h e

s cen e.

Bi rd so n g arg u es t h at th e ev i d en ce is i n s u ffi ci en t t o s u s t ai n h is co n v i ct i o n

b ecau s e i t s h ows th at h e ab an d o n ed h i s effo rt t o co m m i t t h e cri m e. He ci t es OCGA

4§ 16 -4 -5 (a), w h i c h pro vi d es

, i n p art

, t h at “ [w] h en a p ers o n ’ s co n d u ct wo u ld

o t h erwi s e co n s t i t u t e an a tt emp t t o co mmi t a cr i me un d er Co d e Sect i o n § 1 6 -4 -1

, i t i s

a n a ffi rm at i ve d efen se t h at h e ab an d o n ed h i s effo rt t o co m m i t t h e cri m e[,]

. . .

m an i fes t i n g a vo l u n t ary an d co m p l et e ren u n ci at i o n o f h i s cri m i n al p u rp o s e.”

(Em p h as i s s u p p li ed .) 2

As o u t l i n ed ab o v e, al t h o ug h Bi rd s o n g to l d p ol i ce t h at h e b eg g ed o ff “ at t h e las t

m o vem en t [,] ” t h ere al s o was tes t i m o n y t hat h e w as s t i l l wai t i n g at th e Ci t g o g as

s t at i o n wh en t h e cri m e was co m p l et e an d t h e o t h er m en ran fro m t h e b a n k

, ev en

t h o u g h h e was n o t p ark ed at t h e ag reed -u p o n g et away s p o t

. Fu rt h er, t h ere was

t es t i m o ny t h at Bi rd s on g fo l l o w ed t h e o t h er m en i n h i s car as th ey fl ed th e s cen e.

Al t h o u g h Bi rd s o n g ’ s ev id en ce was i n co nfl i ct wi t h o t h er ev i d en ce, t h e wei g h i n g o f

ev i d en ce an d t h e ju d g i n g o f wi t n es s cred i b il i ty are m at t ers fo r t h e j u r y, n o t fo r t h i s

Co u rt

. R o g er

s v. S t a t e

, 3 5 0 Ga. Ap p . 1 6 3 , 1 6 3 (1 ) (8 2 8 SE2 d 3 9 8) (2 01 9 ).

Fro m th e ev i den ce p res en t ed

, in cl u d i n g t h at Bi rd s o n g p ro v id ed t h e g u n s u s ed

i n t h e ro b b ery

, d ro p p ed th e m en o ff n ear t h e b an k s o t h at t h ey co u l d ro b i t

, wai t ed at

t h e Ci t g o k n o wi n g t h e ro b b ery was t ak i ng p l ace, an d t h en fo ll o wed t h e m en as t h ey

2 W e n o t e t h at Bi rd s on g was n ot ch arg ed w i t h an at t em p t cr i m e o r wi th

co n sp i racy

.

5fl ed aft er t ak i ng m o n ey

, t h e j u r y was au t h o ri zed t o i n fer t h at Bi rd s o n g d i d n ot

ab an do n t h e cri m e p ri o r t o i ts co m p l et i o n. “ [A] p ers o n can n ot ab an d o n an al read y

co m p l et ed cri m e.” (Ci tat i o n o m i t t ed .) Hu bb a r d v. S t a t e , 2 1 0 Ga. Ap p

. 1 4 1, 1 4 3 (1 )

(a) (4 3 5 SE2 d 7 0 9 ) (1 9 9 3 ). See g en eral ly S p i vey v. S t a te

, 2 4 3 Ga. Ap p

. 7 8 5

, 7 8 6 -7 8 8

(1 ) - (2 ) (5 3 4 SE2 d 4 9 8 ) (2 00 0 ) (fi n d in g n o erro r wh en t ri al co u rt refu s ed t o ch arg e

ju ry on ab an d o nm e n t w here, d es p i te d efen d an t ’ s o w n co n fl i ct i n g t es t i m o n y

, s o m e

ev i d en ce s h o wed t h at d efen d an t was p ro m i s ed p ay m en t t o d ri v e o t h ers t o an d fro m

a p l an n ed ro b bery

, b u t t h at aft er p ark i n g t h e car, s h e refu s ed t o s erv e as g et away

d ri v er).

Fu rt her, as t h e ju ry fo u n d

, t h e ev i den ce o u tl i ned ab ov e was s uffi ci en t t o en ab l e

a rat i o nal t ri er o f fact to fi n d each es s en t i al el e m e n t o f th e cri m e o f arm ed ro b b ery

,

an d t h at Bi rd s o n g was a p art y t o t h at co m p l et ed cri m e. See OCGA § 1 6 -8 -4 1 (a) (A

p ers o n co m

m i t s arm ed ro b b ery “ wh en

, wi th in t en t t o co m m i t t h eft

, h e o r s h e t ak es t h e

p ro p ert y o f an ot h er fro m

t h e p ers o n o r t h e im

m ed i at e p res en ce o f an o t her b y u s e o f

an o ffen s i v e weap on ”); OCGA § 1 6 -2 -2 0 (b ) (3 ), (4 ) (A p ers o n i s a p art y t o t h e cri m e

i f h e “ [i ] n t en t i o n al l y a i d s o r ab et s in t he co m m i s s i o n o f t h e cri m e; o r

. . .

[ i ] n te nti o n al l y ad v i ses

, en co u rag es

, h i res

, co u n sel s

, o r pro cu res an o t h er t o c om m it the

cri m e”). W h i l e th ere i s n o arg u m e n t o n ap p eal th at Bi rd s o ng en t ered t h e b an k,

6p o i n t ed a g u n at a cu s to m er o r t el l er, an d dem an d ed m o n ey

, “ [a] part i ci p an t t o a cri m e

m ay b e co n v i ct ed al t h o u g h h e is n o t t h e pers o n wh o di rect l y co m m it s t h e cri m e.

. . .

M ere p res en ce at th e s cen e i s n o t s u ffi ci en t t o co n v i ct o n e o f b ei n g a part y to a cri m e,

b u t cri m i n al i n t en t m ay b e i n ferred fro m co n d u ct

, b efo re, du ri n g

, a n d a ft er t h e

co m m i s s io n o f a cri m e.” (Fo ot no t e an d em p has i s om i t t ed .) Jo r da n v. S t a t e

, 2 8 1 Ga.

Ap p . 4 1 9 , 4 2 2 (1 ) (6 3 6 SE2 d 1 5 1 ) (2 0 0 6 ). W e fi n d n o erro r.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . McFa d

d en , C. J., a nd

McMi l l i an , P. J., co n cu r

.

7