FI RST DI VI SI ON

PHI PPS, C. J.

, DOYLE, P. J, and BOGGS, J.

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 ls .us /r ule s /

A pr i l 29, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A0 74 7 . GRIBBLE v . THE STATE. DO-0 3 0 C

D O Y LE , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

Aaro n Brad l ey Gri b b l e was co n v i ct ed o f t h eft b y t ak i ng

. 1 He ap p eal s , arg u i n g

t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred b y d en y i n g h i s g en eral d em u rrer. W e d is ag ree an d affi rm

.

Gri b b l e was ch arg ed wi th t h eft b y t ak i n g . Du ri n g t he t ri al , h i s at t o rn ey m ad e

an o ral g en eral d em

u rrer, al l eg i n g t hat t h e i n d i ct m en t fai l ed t o al l eg e a cri m e u n d er

t h e l aws o f t h e St at e o f Geo rg i a. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i o n , a n d t h i s a p p eal

fo l l o w ed

.

A g en eral d em u r r e r ch al l en g es t h e va l i d i t y of an i n di ct m en t b y

a s s e rt i n g t h at th e su b s t a n ce o f t h e i n d i ct m en t is l eg al l y i n s uffi ci en t t o

ch arg e an y cri m e. In o t h er wo rd s , a g e n e ral d em u rrer i s es s en t i al l y a

cl ai m t h at t h e in d i ct m en t i s f a t a l l y d efect i v e an d, t h erefo re, v o id

,

1 OCGA § 1 6 -8 -2

.b ecau s e i t f a i l s t o al l eg e fact s t h at co n s ti t ut e t h e ch arg ed cri m e o r a ny

o t h er cri m e, i n cl u d in g a l es s er i n cl u d ed o ffen s e o f t h e ch arg ed cri m e. 2

W e ap p l y t h e fo l l o w i n g t es t t o d et erm i n e wh e t h er an i n d i ct m en t can wi t h s t an d a

g en eral d em

u rrer:

[i ] f al l t h e fact s w h ich t h e i n d i ct m en t ch arg es can b e ad m i t t ed

, an d s t i l l

t h e accu s ed b e in no cen t

, t h e i n d i ct m en t i s b ad ; bu t if, t ak i n g t h e fact s

al l eg ed as p rem i s ed

, t h e g ui l t o f t h e accu s ed fo ll o ws as a l eg al

co n cl u s i o n , th e in d i ct m en t i s g o o d

. An i nd i ct m en t wh ich ch arg es th e

o f fen s e i n th e l an g u ag e o f th e d efi ni n g s t at u t e an d d es cri b es th e a c t s

co n s t i t ut i n g t h e o ffen se s u ffi ci en t ly t o p u t t he d efen d an t o n n ot i ce of th e

o ffen s e wi t h wh i ch h e i s ch arg ed s u rv i v es a g en eral d em u rrer. 3

Here, t he i n d ict m en t ch arg ed Gri bb l e wi t h th eft b y t ak i ng , al l eg i n g t hat h e “ d id

t ak e a 4 2 [-i n ch ] LG t el ev i s i o n , t h e p ro p ert y o f J o s ep h Fl o y d

, wi t h t h e i n t e n t i o n o f

d ep ri v i n g s ai d o w n er of s ai d p ro p ert y , co nt rary to th e l aws o f sai d St at e, t h e g o o d

o rd er, p eace an d d i g n it y t h ereo f.” OCGA § 1 6 -8 -2 p ro v i d es t h at “ [a] p ers o n co m m i t s

2 (Ci t at i o n s , fo o t n ot e, an d p un ct u at i o n o m i t ted ; em p h as i s i n o ri g in al .) S t a te v. W i l s o n , 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p

. 8 8

, 9 1 -9 2 (1 ) (7 3 2 SE2 d 3 3 0) (2 0 1 2 ).”Becau s e a p ers o n can n ot
b e lawfu ll y co n v ict ed o n an i n v a l i d i n di ct m en t

, a gen eral d em u rrer m ay b e rai s ed

o ral l y o r i n wri t i n g at an y ti m e befo re ju d gm en t i s en t ered on h i s o r h er co n v i ct i o n.”

Id

. at 9 1

, n .1 0

, q u o t in g S t i ns o n v. S t a t e , 2 7 9 Ga. 1 7 7

, 1 8 0

, n .3 (6 1 1 SE2 d 5 2 ) (2 0 0 5 ).

Th u s, Gri b b l e’ s d em

u rrer was t i m el y

.

3 (Fo o tn ot e an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Pu l l ia m v. S t a t e , 3 0 9 Ga. Ap p

. 4 7 7

, 4 7 9

- 4 8 0 (2 ) (7 1 1 SE2 d 2 1) (2 01 1 ).

2t h e o ffen s e o f t h eft by t ak i n g wh en h e u n l awfu l l y t ak es o r, b ei n g i n l awfu l p o s s es s i o n

t h ereo f, u n l awfu l l y ap p ro p ri at es an y p ro p ert y o f an o t her wi th t h e i n ten t i o n o f

d ep ri v i n g h i m o f t h e pro pert y , reg ard l es s o f t h e m an n er i n wh i ch t h e p ro p ert y i s t ak en

o r ap p ro pri at ed .”

Gri b b l e arg ues t h at t he i n d i ct m en t fai led t o al l eg e a c r i m e b e c au s e i t d i d n ot

s p eci fi cal l y al l eg e t h at h e u n l a wf u l l y t o o k F l o yd ’ s tel ev i si o n wi t h t h e i nt en t i o n o f

d ep ri v i n g h i m t h ereo f. G ri b b l e o v erl o o k s , h o wev er, t hat t h e i n d ict m en t d id al l eg e t h at

h e “ di d tak e [Fl o y d ’ s t el ev i s i on

. . .wi t h t he i n t en ti o n o f d ep ri v i n g t h e o wn er o f s ai d

p ro p ert y co n t rary t o t he l aws o f s ai d St at e.” Th u s , b ecau s e t h e i n d i ct m en t t rack ed t h e

l an g u ag e o f t he Co d e s ect io n , an d Gri b b l e co ul d no t ad m i t t h e co n d u ct al leg ed i n t h e

i n d i c t m en t an d b e i n n o cen t o f t h e cri m e, t h e t ri al co urt d i d n o t err b y d en y i n g

Gri b b l e’ s g en eral d em

u rrer. 4

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

p p s , C. J., a n d

Bo g g s , J., co n cu r

.

4 See Fa l a g i an v. S ta t e , 3 0 0 Ga. Ap p

. 1 8 7, 1 9 1 (2 ), 1 9 2 (3 ) (6 8 4 SE2 d 3 4 0 ) (2 0 0 9) (affi rm in g t he t ri al co u rt ’ s d en i al o f g en eral d em urrer b ecau s e t h e i n d i ct m en t

a l l eg i ng t h eft b y t ak i n g t rack ed t h e t h eft b y t ak i n g Co d e s ect i o n an d “ i f [ t h e d efen d an t ] ad m it t ed t h e co nd uct al l eg ed i n t h e i n di ct m en t

, he wo u l d n ot b e i n n o cen t

o f t h e cri m e”), d i s ap p ro v ed o n o t h er g ro u n d s b y McNa i r v. S t a t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 2 8 2 , 2 8 4 (7 4 5 SE2 d 6 4 6 ) (2 0 1 3 ).

3