THI RD DI VI SI ON

ELLI NGTON, P. J.

, BETHEL and GOBEI L, JJ.

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

Septem ber 11, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 8 A1 25 9 . AGUIRRE-GOM EZ v . THE STATE.

E LLI N G T O N , Pres i d i n g J ud g e.

A Hal l Co u n t y j u ry fo u n d Fi l b ert o Ag u i rre-Go m ez g u i l t y o f t wo co u n t s o f

reck l es s co n d u ct

, OCGA § 16 -5

- 6 0 ( b ), an d p o s s es s i o n of a fi rearm d u ri n g t h e

co m m i s s io n o f a fel o n y , OCGA § 1 6 -1 1 -1 06 (b ) (1 ). 1 Ag u i rre-Go m ez ap p eal s fro m

t h e ord er d en y i n g h i s m o t i o n fo r a n e w t r i a l

, co n t en d i n g th at hi s co n vi ct i o n fo r

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm d u ri n g t h e co m m i s s i o n o f a fel o n y m

u s t b e rev ers ed b ecau s e

t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s j u ry i n s tru ct i o n s co n cern i n g t h at offen s e co n st it u t ed p lai n erro r u n d er

t h e ci rcu m s t an ces o f t hi s cas e an d b ecau s e t h e ev i d en ce was i n s u ffi ci en t t o s u p p o rt

t h e co n v i ct i o n

. Fo r t h e fo l l o wi n g reas o ns , we rev ers e t h is co n v ict i on

.

1 Th e ap p el l an t do es n ot ch al l en ge h i s co n v i ct i o n s fo r m i sd em e a n o r reck l es s

co n du ct

.Th e S t a t e c h a rg ed Ag u i rre-Go m ez fo r o ffen s es t h at aro se fro m a fi g h t t h at

b ro k e o u t o n a Decem

b er n i g h t i n 2 0 1 5 w h i l e h i s g i rl fri en d was p ack i n g h er

b el o n g i n gs t o m o v e o u t o f t h e h o m e t h at t h ey sh ared

. Th ree of t h e g i rl fri en d ’ s fri en d s

fo u g ht wi t h Ag u i r r e

- G o m ez, k i ck i n g an d p u n ch i n g h i m

, an d h e fi red t wo o r t h ree

“ warn i n g s h ot s ” at t h em t o s care t h em away

. As t h e fri e n ds fl ed

, Ag u i rre-Go m ez

b ri efl y fo l l owed aft er t h em i n h i s t ru ck

, fi ri n g o n e m o re s h o t

. Th i s fi n al s h o t i n ju red

o n e o f t he p eo pl e wi t h wh o m h e h a d f o u g h t. T h e St at e ret u rn ed a t h ree-co u nt

i n d i ct m en t ag ai n s t Ag ui rre-Go m ez

, c h a r g in g h im wi th t w o co u n t s o f ag g rav at ed

as s au l t (each ag ai n s t t h e sam e v i ct i m ) an d po s s es s i o n of a fi rearm d u ri n g t h e

co m m i s s io n of “ a fel o n y ag ai n s t t h e p ers o n of an o t h er; t o wi t : Ag g rav at ed As s au l t[.] ”

Th e ju ry ret u rn ed a v erd i ct fi n d i n g Ag u i rre-Go m ez g ui l t y o f t wo co u nt s o f reck l es s

co n du ct (l es s er-i n cl u d ed o ffen ses o f ag g rav at ed as s au l t ) an d p os s es si on o f a fi rearm

d u ri n g t h e co m

m i s s i on o f a fel o n y

.

1

. A g u i rre-Go m ez arg u es t h at h i s fi rearm p os s es si on ch arg e m u s t b e rev ers ed

b ecau s e t h e ju ry was n o t p ro p erl y i n s t ru ct ed

. Sp eci fi cal l y

, h e arg u es th at

, b ecau s e t h e

ju ry was n o t i nfo rm ed th at reck l es s co n d u ct is a m i sd em ean o r, 2 i t co u l d h av e

2 OCGA § 16 -5 -6 0 (b ) p ro v i d es t hat a p ers o n fo u n d g u i l t y o f t h e o ffen s e o f

reck l es s co n du ct s h al l b e s en t en ced fo r “ a m i s d em ean o r.”

2m i s t ak en l y i nferred t h at reck l es s co n d u ct w ou l d s u ffi ce as t h e p red i cat e fel o n y fo r t h e

fi rearm p o ss es s i o n ch arg e. Fo r t h e fo l l owi n g reas o n s , we ag ree.

Al t h ou g h Ag u i rre-Go m ez’ s t ri al co un s el s u g g es t ed at t h e ch arg e co n feren ce

t h at t h e t ri al co u rt s h o u l d i n fo rm t h e ju ry t h at reck l es s co n d u ct i s a m i s d em ean o r, h e

d i d n o t o b

ject t o t h e ju ry ch arg e t h at t h e tri al c o u r t e v e n t ual l y g av e. Ou r Su p rem e

Co u rt h as ex p l ai n ed t h e l i m i t s o f o u r ap pel l at e rev i ew i n t h is ci rcu m s t an ce:

Becau s e an o b

ject i o n v o i ced at t h e ch arg e co nferen ce d o es n o t p res erv e

o b ject i o n s t o t he ch arg e as s u b s eq u en t l y g i v en

, t h e fai lu re to o b ject t o

t h e ch arg e as g i v en precl u d es ap pel l at e rev i ew u n l es s s u ch p o rt i o n o f th e

ju ry ch arg e co n s ti t u t es p lai n erro r w h i ch affect s s u b s t an t i al ri g h t s o f th e

p art i es

. Des p i t e t he lack o f o b ject i o n b el o w

, th e o m i s s i o n o f th e j u ry

i n s t ru ct i o n

. . . w as rai s ed o n m o t i o n fo r n ew tri al an d en u m erat ed as

e r r o r a n d arg u ed on ap p eal in t h i s cas e. Co ns eq u en tl y

, we wi l l rev i e w

t h e fai l u re t o [g i v e t h e req u es t ed ch arg e] , b u t we rev i ew o n l y fo r p l ai n

erro r, m ean i n g an erro r t h at i s o b v io u s

, t h at l i k el y affect ed t h e o u t co m e

o f t h e p ro ceed i ng s, an d t h at s eri o u s l y affect s th e fai rn es s

, i n t eg ri t y o r

p u b l i c rep u tat i o n o f ju d i ci al p ro ceed i n g s.

Mer ri t t v. S t a te

, 2 9 2 G a

. 3 2 7, 3 3 0 -3 31 (2 ) (7 3 7 SE2 d 67 3 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (ci t at io n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Ap p l y i n g t h i s st an d ard

, we fi n d t he t ri al co u rt ’ s fai l u re t o g i v e

t h e req u es t ed ch arg e was p l ai n erro r.

3Co u nt 2 of t h e i n d i ct m en t ch arg ed Ag u i rre-Go m ez wi t h p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm

d u ri n g th e co m

m i s s i on of a fel o n y an d s p eci fi cal l y i d en t i f i e d a g grav at ed as s au l t as

t h e u n d erl y i n g “ fel o n y .” He was fo u n d n o t g u il t y o f bo t h co u n t s o f ag g rav at ed

as s au l t

, bu t was fo u n d gu i l t y o f t h e l es s er-i ncl u d ed m i s d em ean o r offen s e o f reck l es s

co n du ct as t o each co u n t of ag g rav at ed as s au l t

. Th e reco rd s ho ws

, h o w ev er, t h at wh en

t h e co u rt ch arg ed t he ju ry o n reck l es s co n d uct as a l es s er-i n cl u d ed o ffen se, i t fai l ed

t o i ns t ru ct t h e ju ry

t h at reck l es s co nd u ct was a m i s d em ean o r, n o t a fel o n y

.

A les s er-i n cl u d ed o ffen s e can b e a p red i cat e o ffen s e fo r t h e cri m e o f p o s s es s i o n

o f a fi rearm d u ri n g t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f a fel o n y

, b u t o n ly i f t h e co u rt ’ s i n s t ru ct i on s

i n fo rm t h e ju ry t h at t h e l es ser-i n cl u ded o ffen s e q u al i fi es as a p red i cat e f el o n y o ffen s e.

In t h e an al o g o u s s i t uat i o n o f a fel o n y m u rd er, wh i ch al s o req u ires p ro o f

o f a n u n d erl y i n g fel o n y

, o u r Su p rem e Co u rt h el d th at “ a fel o n y wh ich

i s an i n cl u d ed o ffen s e o f an o t h e r f el o n y wh i ch i s ch arg ed i n an

i n d i ct m en t m ay co n s t i t u t e t h e u n derl y i ng fel on y u p on wh i ch co nv i ct i o n

o f fel o n y m

u rd er m ay b e g ro u n d ed

, g iv en ad eq u at e p ro o f an d co rrect

ju ry i n s t ru ct i on s

. ” Di ll a r d v. S t a t e

, 2 5 1 Ga. 8 5 8

, 8 59 (2 ) (3 1 0 SE2 d 5 1 8 )

(1 9 8 4 ). Th e Su prem e Co urt t h en e xpla ine d tha t “ co rrect ju ry i n s t ru ct i o n s

m u s t id en t ify t h e i ncl u d ed offen s e as a fel o ny

, a n d m u s t s peci fy i t s

es s en t i al el em en t s

, as w el l as t h e el em en t s o f fel on y m u r d e r.” Id

. See

al s o Pr a t er v. S t a t e

, 2 7 3 Ga. 4 77 , 4 7 9 (2 ) (5 45 SE2 d 8 6 4 ) (2 0 0 1).

Pr a th er v. S t a t e , 2 5 9 Ga. Ap p . 4 4 1 , 4 4 2 -4 4 3 (1 ) (5 7 6 SE2 d 9 0 4 ) (2 0 0 3 ).

4In t h i s cas e, t h e t ri al co u rt n o t o n l y fai l ed t o i n fo rm t h e j u ry th at th e o ffen s e o f

reck l es s co n d u ct w as a m i s d em ean o r, an d t h erefo re a cri m e th at d id n o t q u al i fy as a

p red i cat e fel o n y offen s e, t h e co u rt ’ s i n s t ru ct i o n s co u l d h av e m i s l ed t h e ju ry i n to

b el i ev i n g t h at reck l es s co nd u ct was a fel o n y

. Th e co u rt ch arg ed th e ju ry

, i n rel ev an t

p art

, t h at “ [a] p ers o n co m m i ts reck l es s co n d u ct w hen h e cau s es b o d i l y h a r m t o o r

en d an g ers t h e b o d il y safet y o f an o t h er[.] ” Al m os t i m m ed i at el y t hereaft er, wh en

d efi n i n g th e offen s e o f p os s es s i o n o f a fi rearm d u ri ng t h e co m m i ss i on o f a fel o n y

, t h e

co u rt i n fo rm ed t h e j u ry t hat a fel o n y “ i s an y cri m e ag ai n st o r i n v o l v in g t h e p ers o n o f

an o th er.” Th u s

, t h e ju ry co u l d h a v e in ferred fro m t h e ch arg e t h at reck l es s co n d u ct

was a fel o n y th at co u l d s at i s fy th e el em en t s o f th e o ffen s e o f p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm

d u ri n g t h e co m

m i s s i o n o f a fel o n y

, t h e r e b y s u b s t an t i al l y preju d ici n g Ag u i rreGo m ez’ s ri g h t s

. Th i s i s an ob v i o u s erro r t h at l i k el y affect ed t h e o u t c o m e o f t h e

p r o c e e d i n g s an d s eri o us l y affect ed t h e fai rn es s o f t h e t ri al b el o w. “ Th erefo re, t h e

fact s o f t h i s c a s e p res en t an ev en m o re co m p el l i n g reas o n fo r rev ers i n g [t h e]

p o s s es s i o n co n v i ct i o n t h an th e fact s p res en t ed in Pr a t h er .” See Mo o r e v. S t a t e

, 2 8 6

Ga. Ap p . 3 1 3 , 3 2 0-3 21 (5 ) (6 4 9 SE2 d 3 3 7 ) (2 0 0 7 ) (Becau s e t h e t ri al co u rt fai l ed t o

i n s t ru ct th e ju ry t h at t h e in v o l u n t ary m an s l au g h t er o ffen s e

– wh i ch co u l d b e ei t h er a

m i s d em ean o r o r a fel o n y

– h ad b een ch arg ed as a fel o n y

, t h e defen d an t ’ s co n v i ct i o n

5fo r p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm d uri n g t h e c o m m i ss i on o f a fel o n y h ad to be rev ers ed .).

Co n s eq u en t l y

, Ag u i rre-Go m ez’ s co n v i ct i o n fo r p o ss es s i o n of a fi rear m d u ri n g t h e

co m m i s s io n o f a fel o n y

m u st b e rev ers ed

.

2

. In h i s s eco n d cl ai m o f erro r, Ag u i rre-Go m ez co n t en d s th at h i s co n v i ct i o n fo r

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm d uri n g t h e co m m i s si o n of a fel o n y was n ot s u p p o rt ed b y t h e

ev i d en ce as m at t er o f l aw b ecau s e t h e ju ry fo u n d h i m n o t g ui l t y o f ag g rav at ed as s au l t

.

Gi v en o u r h o l d i n g i n Di v is i o n 1 , we co n cl u d e t h at t h i s cl ai m o f erro r i s m o o t

.

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Bet h el

a n d Go b ei l , JJ., co n cu r

.

6