# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A1 6 A0 48 3 . CEDRI CK RHODES v . THE STATE.

Ap p el l an t Ced ri ck Rh o d es ap p eal s fro m t h e d en i al o f hi s m o t i o n fo r new t ri al

fo l l o w i n g h i s co n v i ct i on on m u l t i p l e co u n t s o f arm ed ro b bery

, ag g rav a t ed as s au l t

,

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm du ri n g t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f a cri m e, an d cri m i n al d am ag e to

p r o p ert y i n t h e fi rs t d eg ree. Am o n g o t h er t h in g s

, Rh o d es as s ert s o n ap p eal t h a t t h e

t ri al co urt ab u sed i t s d i scret i o n b y ad m i t t i n g “ o t her act s ” ev i den ce p u rs u an t t o OCGA

§ 2 4 -4 -4 0 4 (b ) an d OCGA § 24 -4 -4 0 3 t o p ro v e h i s i nt en t

. In t h e recen t cas e o f Ol d s

v. St a t e

, Cas e No

. S1 5 G1 6 1 0

,

_ _ _ Ga.

_ _ _ (_

_ _ SE2 d

_ _ _ ) 2 0 1 6 Ga. LEXIS 3 9 3

(d eci d ed M ay 2 3

, 2 0 1 6 ), o u r Su p rem e Co u rt cl ari fi ed t he l aw co n cern i n g t he p ro p er

an al y s i s th at ou r co u rt m

u st em p l o y i n d eci di n g t h e ad m is s i b i l i t y o f s u ch ev i d en ce to

p ro v e in t en t

, ack n o wl ed g in g t h at i t s p rev i o us p reced en t m ay h av e l ed co urt s as t ray

i n co n d u c t i n g t h e b al an ci ng t es t fo r ad m i s s ib i l i ty

, wh ich s uch ev i d en ce m u s t p as s

u n d er OCGA § 24 -4 -4 03

. 1 As t h e Su prem e Co u rt s t at ed i n Ol ds , “ [t ] h e ap p l i cat i o n

o f t h e Ru l e 4 0 3 t es t i s a m at t er co m m i t t ed p ri n ci p al ly t o t h e d i s cret i o n o f t h e t ri al

co u rt s [.] ” Id

., 20 1 6 Ga. LEXIS 3 9 3 a t * 1 0

. M o reo v er, i t is b y n o m ean s cl ear t o u s

t h at t h e t ri al co u rt wo u l d h av e reach ed t h e s am e res u l t reg ard i n g th e ad m i ss i b i l i t y o f

t h e ex t ri n s i c ev i d en ce to p ro v e i n t en t (an d acco rd i n gl y

, wo u ld n o t h av e reach ed t h e

s am e res u l t i n d eci d i n g Rh o d es ’ m o t i o n fo r new t ri al ), h ad t h e co u rt h ad t h e b en efi t

o f t h e Su p rem e Co urt ’ s d eci s i o n i n Ol d s t o g u i d e i t

. Acco rd in gl y , b ecau s e t h i s i s a

m at t er co m

m i t t ed t o t h e d i s cret i o n o f t h e t ri al co u rt i n t h e fi rs t i n s tan ce, an d i n l i g ht

1 Th at s ect i o n p ro v id es t h at “ [r] el ev an t e v i d e n c e m ay b e ex cl ud ed i f i t s

p ro b at i v e v al u e i s s ub s t an t i al l y o u t wei gh ed b y t he d an g er o f u n fai r p reju d i ce,

co n fu s i o n o f t he i s s ues

, o r m i s l ead i n g t h e j u r y or co ns i d erat i o n s of u n d u e d el ay

,

was te o f t i m e, o r n eed l es s p res en t at i o n o f cu m u l at i v e ev i d en ce.” June 29, 2016o f t h e Su p rem e Co u rt ’ s recen t pro n o u n cem en t o f t h e l aw wh ich s i gn i fi can t l y affect s

t h i s an al y s i s

, we b el iev e t h e b et t er co u rs e i n t h is cas e is t o v acat e t h e t ri al co u r t ’s

o rd er d en y i n g Rh o d es ’ m o ti o n fo r new t ri al an d rem an d to t h e t ri al co u rt fo r

reco n s i d erat i on i n l ig h t o f Ol d s

. 2 See S t a t e v. B r own

, 33 3 Ga. Ap p

. 6 4 3, 6 5 3 (3 ) (7 7 7

SE2 d 27 ) (2 0 1 5 ) ( r e m a n d neces s ary wh en th i s Co u rt can no t d i s cern wh et h er t ri al

co u rt ap p l i ed ap p ro p ri at e t es t i n ex cl u di n g o t h er-act s ev i d en ce an d th u s can n ot

u n d ert ak e a m ean i n g fu l rev i e w o f t h at o rd er). Fo l lo wi n g th e en t ry o f a n ew o rd er

u p o n rem an d

, t h e p art i es s hal l h av e t h e ri g h t t o ap p eal an y ad v ers e ru l in g by t h e t ri al

co u rt i n acco rd an ce wi t h t h e ap p l i cab l e p ro ced u res g ov ern i n g s u ch ap p eal s

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e is a tr u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

.

2 Rh o d es al s o ch al l en g es t h e s u ffi ci en cy o f th e ev id en ce an d th e effect i v en es s

o f t ri al c o u n s el

. W e h av e rev i ewed t h e t ran s cri pt o f t he ev i d en ce s u bm i t t ed at t ri al

an d h av e l i t t l e h es i t an cy i n co n cl u d i n g t h at t h e ev i d en ce was s u ffi ci en t t o s u p p o rt

R h o d e s ’ co n v ict i o n s of t h e cri m es ch arg ed

, t h u s o b v i at i n g an y p o t en ti al d o u b l e

j eo p ard y co n cern s s ho u l d t h e t ri al co u rt d et erm i n e t h at a new t ri al in t h i s c a s e i s

n eces s ary

. Th e rem ai nd er o f Rh o d es ’ co n t en t i o n s are m o re pro p erl y ad d res s ed i n an y

fu t u re ap p eal i n t h i s cas e, as n eces s ary

. 06/29/2016