2 9 7 Ga . 4 42

F INAL COP Y

S 1 5 A0 5 8 7 . DAILEY v . THE S TATE.

H UNSTEI

N , Ju stic e

.

Ap p e lla n t E a rn e st E a rl Da ile y , Jr., wa s c o n v ic te d o f fe lo n y m urd e r in

c o n n e c tio n with th e d e a th o f Je rm a in e Little

. Da ile y a pp ea l s , co n t e n din g th a t

th e tria l c o u rt im

p e rmi ssib ly c o m m e n te d o n th e e v id e n c e a n d e rre d in

e v i d e n tia ry ru lin g s a n d in re fu sin g to in stru c t th e ju ry on vo lu n t a r y

m a n sla u g h te r. We fin d n o m e rit in th e se c o nte n tio n s a n d a ffirm

. 1

1

. Vie we d i n t h e l ig h t m o st fa v o ra b le to th e v e rd ic t, th e e v id e n c e

p r e s e n t e d a t tria l sh o we d th a t, o n th e a fte rn o o n o f F e b ru ary 1

, 2 01 2, Little

w a l k e d to P a

u l’s IGA g ro c e ry sto re to p u rc ha se c ig a re tte s. Wh ile Li t t l e w a s

o u tsid e th e sto re , Da ile y a p p ro a c h e d Little a n d a rg u e d with h im brie fly

. Da ile y

th e n stru c k Little o n th e b a c k o f t h e h e a d w ith a n o b je c t th a t re se m

b le d a

1 Th e cri m e o ccu rred on Feb r u a r y 1

, 2 0 1 2

. On M ay 2 9

, 2 0 1 2

, Dai l ey was i n d i ct ed b y a Ri ch m o n d Co u n t y g ran d ju ry fo r m al i ce m urd er an d fel o n y m

u rd er. On
Feb ru ary 2 7

, 2 0 13

, t h e t ri al j u r y f o u n d D ai l ey g u i l t y of fel o n y m u rd er. Th at s am e d ay , t h e t ri al co u rt s en t en ced Dai l ey t o l ife i n p ri s on

. On M arch 5

, 2 0 13

, Dai l ey fi l ed

a m o t i o n fo r new tri al

, wh i ch h e am en d ed o n Au gu s t 6, 2 0 1 4

. Fo l l owi n g a h eari n g,
t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered an o rd er o n Au g u s t 1 2

, 2 01 4

, d en y i n g t h e m o t i o n as am en d ed

. Dai l e y f i l e d a ti m el y n o t i ce o f ap p eal

, an d t h e ap p eal was d o ck et ed t o t h e J an u ary 2 0 1 5 t erm

o f t h i s Co urt an d s u b m i t t ed fo r d eci s i o n o n t h e b ri efs

.wo o de n ta

b le le g

. Little c o lla

p se d on th e sid e wa lk a n d

, a fte r be in g tra n sp o rte d

to a h o sp ita l, d ie d se v e ra l d a y s la te r. Alth o u gh Da ile y d o e s n o t c o nte s t th e

su ffic ie n c y o f th e e v id e n c e , we c o n c lu de th a t, v ie we d in th e lig h t m o st fa v o ra b le

to th e v e rd ic t, th e e v id e n c e p re se n te d a t tr i a l wa s su ffic ie nt to a u th o riz e a

ra tio n a l ju ry to fin d him g u ilty b e y o n d a re a so n a b le d o u b t o f th e fe lo n y m

u rd e r

o f Little . S e e Ja c k so n v

. Virg in ia

, 4 4 3 U. S

. 30 7

, 3 1 9 (9 9 S Ct 2 7 8 1

, 6 1 LE2 d

5 6 0 ) (1 97 9 ).

2

. Da ile y c on te n d s th a t th e tria l c o u rt im p e rm issib ly c o m m e n te d o n th e

e v id e n c e wh e n h e d isp a ra g e d tria l c o u n se l in th e p re se n c e o f th e ju ry . Du rin g

tria l c o u n se l’s c ro ss-e x a m in a tio n o f S e rg e a n t Willia m Le ise y , th e su p e rv isin g

i n v e stig a to r, th e pro se c u to r o b je c te d th a t “ p re tty m

uc h e v e ry th in g [tria l c o u n s e l ]

is a sk in g In v e stig a to r Le ise y is a ll h e a rsa y .” Th e tria l c ou rt re sp o n d e d :

We ll, I m e a

n a t so m e p o in t S e rg e a n t Le ise y in dic a te d th a t h e

wa s u ltim a te ly re sp o n sib le fo r th e in v e stig a tio n

. Ho we v e r, I th in k
h e h a s m a d e it c le a r wh a t h e d id a n d d id n o t d o

. S o if [tria l c ou n se l]

w a n t s to m e a n d e r th ro u g h th is I th in k [h e ] h a s th e rig h t to

. H o w

e ffe c tiv e it is[,] is a n o th e r q u e stio n

. S o I’ll o v e rru le th e o b je c tio n

.

Da ile y a rg u e s th a t th e c o m m e n t vio la te d OCGA § 1 7 -8 -5 7, wh i c h p r o v i d e d

th a t “[i] t is e rro r fo r a n y ju d g e in a n y c rim in a l c a se , d u rin g its pro g re ss o r in h is

c h ar g e to th e ju ry , to e x p re ss o r in tim a te h is o p in io n a s to w h a t ha s o r h a s n o t

2b e e n p ro v e d o r a s to th e g u ilt o f th e a c c u se d.” 2 He a sse rts th a t th is c o m m e n t wa s

a c le a r in tim a tio n o f th e ju d g e ’s v ie w th a t tria l c o u n se l wa s wa stin g h is a n d th e

ju ry ’s time b e c a u se th e e v id e n c e wa s c le a rly su ffic ie n t to su p p o rt th e c h a rg e s.

Ho we ve r, th e o v e ra ll im

p o rt o f th e ju dg e ’s c o m m e n t wa s a n e x p la n a tio n o f th e

ru lin g o n th e Sta te ’s o b

je c tio n, a n d su c h e xp la n a tio n s c le a rly d o n o t ru n a fo u l o f

OCGA § 1 7 -8 -5 7

. S ee J o h n so n v

. S ta te

, 2 4 6 Ga

. 12 6

, 1 2 8 (V) (2 69 S E2 d 1 8 )

(1 9 8 0 ) (“ re m a rk s o f a ju d g e a ssig n in g a re as o n f o r h is ru lin g a re n e ith e r a n

e x p re ssio n of o p in i o n n o r a c o m m e n t on th e e v id e n c e ” ). Th e ju dg e ’s b rie f

m u sin g a b o u t d e fe n se c o u n se l’s stra te g y wa s u n ne c e ssa ry , a n d su c h c om m e n ts

sh o u ld b e a v o id e d, b u t th e ju d g e ’s c o m m e n t h e re in no wa y c o n stitu te d th e ty p e

o f d ire c t c o m m e n t o n th e su b sta n c e o r w e ig h t o f th e e v id e n c e th a t we h a v e h e ld

to v io la te O CGA § 1 7 -8 -5 7

. 3 Co m p a re M u rp h y v

. S ta te

, 2 9 0 G a

. 45 9

, 4 6 0 -4 61

(2 ) (7 2 2 S E2 d 5 1 ) (2 0 1 2 ) (tr i a l j u d g e ’s c om m e n ts th a t witn e ss w a s a “ go od

d e te c tiv e ” a n d th a t th ro u g h “ his g o o d e ffo rts we ’re g o in g to fin d th e tru th o f th e

2 Th i s Co d e sect io n w a s a m e n d ed s u b s eq u en t t o t h e t ri al h erei n

. See Ga. L.
2 0 1 5 , p . 1 0 5 0 , § 1

.

3 Th e reco rd refl ect s t h at i m m ed i at el y aft er t h e ju d g e m ad e t h i s co m m en t

, t ri al

co u ns el

, aft er th e ju ry h ad b een ex cu s ed

, as k ed t h e ju dg e n o t t o co m m en t o n co u n sel ’ s

m et h o d o f cro s s -ex am i n at i o n

. N o s i m i lar co m m en t s b y t h e t ri al ju d g e ap pear i n t h e

reco rd

.

3m a tte r” v io la te d OCGA § 1 7 -8 -5 7 ). Th e re fo re , we d isc e rn n o e rro r.

3

. Da ile y c h a lle n g e s th e tria l c o u rt’s e x c lu sio n o f te stim o ny fro m S e rg e an t

Ch ris La n g fo rd

, o n e o f th e in v e stig a tin g o ffic e rs, th a t o n e p e rso n h a d fa ile d to

i d e ntify Da ile y fro m a p h o to g ra p h ic lin e u p , a sse rtin g th a t th e te stim o n y w a s

a d m issib le u n de r O CGA § 2 4 -8 -8 0 1 (d ) (1 ) (C) (p rio r sta te m e n t o f witn e ss is n o t

h e a rsa y if d e c la ra n t te stifie s a n d is su b je c t to c ro ss-e x ami n a tio n , a n d if th e

sta te m e n t is o n e o f id e n tific a tio n o f a p e rso n ). He a lso a rg u e s th a t th e te stim o ny

h a d in d ic ia o f re liab ility a n d th a t it wa s e x c u lp a to ry ev id e n c e th a t th e ju ry wa s

e n title d to h e a r. Th e tria l c o u rt, h o we v e r, p ro p e rly su sta in e d th e S ta te ’s h e a rsa y

o b je c tio n to th e d e te c tiv e ’s te stim o ny w h e re i t wa s c le a r th a t th e in d iv id u a l in

q u e stio n wa s n o t g o in g to b e c a lle d to te stify

. S e e , e .g ., Un ite d S ta te s v

. Bre we r,

3 6 F 3 d 2 6 6 (C) (2 d Cir. 19 9 4 ) (n o e rro r to p re c lu d e c ro ss-e x a m in a tio n o f o ffic e r

re g a rd in g n on -te stify in g w itn e sse s’ in a b ility to id e n tify de fe nd an t fro m a p h o to

a rra y ). To th e e x te n t th a t Da ile y se e k s to a rg u e th a t th e te stim o ny wa s a d m issib le

u n d e r OCGA § 2 4 -8 -8 07 (re sid u a l e x c e p tio n to h e a rsa y ru le ), h e fa ile d to m a k e

th is a rg u m e n t b e lo w , in ste a d a rg u i n g t h a t th e te stim o n y w a s a dm issib le to

e x p la in th e o ffic e r’s c o n d u c t, a n a rg u m e n t n ot m a d e o n a pp e a l.

4

. Da ile y c o n te n d s th a t th e tria l c o u rt e rre d in a d m ittin g a u to p sy

4p h o to g ra

p h s. Ho we v e r, th e m e d ic a l e x a m in e r te stifie d th a t t h e p h o to g ra p h s

sh o we d th e in te rn a l in

ju rie s th a t c a

u se d th e v ic tim ’s d e a th a nd th a t w e r e n o t

e v id e n t fro m th e p re -in c isio n p h o to g ra p h s. Th is te stim o n y e s t a blish e d th e

re le v a n c e o f th e p h o to g ra ph s. S e e OCGA § 24 -4 -4 0 1; se e a lso Bro wn v

. S ta te

,

2 5 0 G a

. 8 6 2

, 8 6 7 (5 ) (3 0 2 S E2 d 34 7 ) (1 9 8 3 ) (h o ld in g , un d e r fo rm e r Ev id e n c e

Co d e , th a t “ [a ] p ho to g ra

p h wh ic h d e p ic ts th e v ic tim a fte r a uto p sy in c isio n s a re

m a d e

. . . will n o t be a d m issib le u n le ss n e c e ssa ry to sh o w so m e m a te ria l fa c t

wh ic h b e c o m e s a

p p a re n t o nly b e c a u se o f th e a u to psy ” ). Th e fa c t th a t Da ile y

m a y n o t h a v e d isp ute d th e c a u se o f d e a th d id n o t d im in ish th e re le v a n c e o f th e

p h o to g ra p h s. S e e B ro wn e r v

. S ta te

, 2 9 6 G a

. 1 3 8 (3 ) (7 6 5 S E2 d 3 4 8 ) (2 01 4 ) (fa c t

th a t c a use of d e a th wa s u n d isp u te d d id n o t re n d e r au t o p sy p h o to g ra p h s

u n n e c e ssa ry ). Ad d itio n a lly

, p rio r to a d m ittin g th e p h o to g ra p h s, th e tri a l c o u rt

c o n sid e re d wh e th e r th e p ro b a tiv e v a lu e of th e p h o t o g ra p hs w a s su b sta n tia lly

o u twe ig h e d by th e d a ng e r o f u n fa ir p re ju d ic e

. S e e OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 0 3

.

Th e re fo re , th e tria l c ou rt d id n o t a b u se its disc re tio n in a d m ittin g th e

p h o to g ra p h s.

5

. F in a lly

, Da ile y c h a lle n g e s th e tria l c o u rt’s re fu sa l to g iv e h is re q u e ste d

5c h a rg e o n v o lu n ta ry m a n sla u gh te r. Ho we v e r, a re v ie w o f th e re c o rd su p p o rts th e

tria l c o u rt’s c o n c lu sio n th a t th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e th a t th e a tta c k w a s “so le ly a s

a re su lt o f a su dd e n, vio le n t, a n d i r r e s i s t ib le p a ssio n re su ltin g fro m se rio u s

p ro v o c a tio n su ffic ie n t to e x c ite su c h p a ssio n in a re a so n a ble p e rso n ,” OCGA §

1 6 -5 -2 (a ). At m o s t

, t h e e v id e nc e sh o we d th a t Da ile y a n d th e v ic tim a rg u e d

b rie fly a fte r D a ile y a c c use d th e v ic tim o f b e in g a th ie f. It is we ll se ttle d th a t su c h

a n g ry wo rd s a lo n e g e ne ra lly a re in su ffic ie n t to in c ite “ se rio u s p ro v o c a tio n ”

with in th e m e a n in g o f OCGA § 1 6

- 5 -2 (a ). Se e Me rritt v

. S ta te

, 2 9 2 Ga

. 3 2 7

,

3 3 1 (2 ) (7 3 7 S E2 d 67 3) ( 2 0 1 3 ) (“ [a ] s a m a tte r o f la w, a n g ry sta te m e n ts a lo n e

o rd in a rily d o n o t a m o u n t to ‘se rio u s p ro v oc a tio n ’” ); Rig g in s v

. S t a t e , 2 7 9 G a

.

4 0 7 (2 ) (6 1 4 S E2 d 7 0 ) (2 0 0 5 ) (e v id e n c e th a t d e fe n d a n t a n d v i c t i m a rg u e d wa s

in su ffic ie n t to a

u th o riz e a ch a rg e o n vo lu n ta ry m a n slau g h te r). Th e re fo re , th e

tria l c o u rt d id n o t e rr in d e c lin in g to g iv e th e re q u e ste d in stru c tio n

.

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

De c id e d Ju ne 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

.

Mu rd e r. Ric h m o nd Su p e rio r Co u rt. Be fo re Ju d g e P a d g e tt.

Du rh a m & Cra n e , Da n n y L

. Du rh a m ; Ch a rle s R. Sh e pp ard

, fo r a p p e lla nt.

6Ash le y W r i g h t

, Distric t Atto rn e y , Ma d o nn a M. Little

, Jo sh u a B

. S m ith

,

Assista n t Distri c t Atto rn e y s; S a m u e l S

. Ole n s, Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, P a tric ia B.

Atta wa y Bu rto n, De pu ty Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, Pa u la K. S m ith

, S e n io r Assista n t

Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, Ja so n M. Re a , Assista n t Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, fo r a p pe lle e

.

7