FI RST DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, PHI PPS, 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 l s .us /r ule s

Nov em ber 18, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A1 25 6 . PAGE v . THE STATE. DO-0 4 6 C

D O Y LE , Ch ief J ud g e.

Ch arl es M o n ro e Pag e ap p eal s h i s co n v i ct i o n fo r arm ed ro b b ery , 1 arg u i n g t h at

t h e ev i d en ce w as 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 on b ecau s e t h e act o f t ak i n g was

c o m p l e t e d p ri or t o t h e h o m eo wn er’ s en t ry i n to t h e ro o m , an d an y u s e o f fo rc e

o ccu rred aft er t h e t ak i n g o f t h e h o m eo wn er’ s p ro p ert y was co m p let e. Fo r t h e reas on s

t h at fo ll o w, we rev ers e. 2

1 OCGA § 1 6 -8 -4 1 (a).

2 Pag e al so was co n v i ct ed o f ag g rav at ed as s au l t

, t h eft b y t ak i n g wi t h a fi rearm , t h ree co u n t s o f t h eft by t ak i n g , an d t h ree co u n t s o f b u rg l a r y, b u t h e d o es n ot

en u m erat e an y erro r rel at ed t o t h o s e co un t s. Th i s ap p eal d o es n o t rev i ew t h e p o rt i o n

o f t h e ju d g m en t rel at ed t o t h o s e co u n t s

.Vi ewed i n t he l i gh t m o st fav orab l e t o t h e v erd i ct

, 3 t h e ev id en ce at tri al s h o wed

t h a t aro u n d m i d -d ay on Decem b er 2 4

, 2 0 1 1

, J o h n ny Ray M an g u m was i n t h e

b as em en t o f h is h o m e wh en h e h e a r d s o m eo n e ru n u p s t ai rs t o ward t h e b ed ro o m s

.

M an g u m ex p ect ed h i s ad u l t d au g h t er t o ret urn h o m e t h at d ay , s o he was n o t s u rp ri s ed

at t he s o u n d an d wen t u p s t ai rs t o m eet h er.

In s t ead o f h i s d au g h t er, M an g ru m cam e u po n Pag e, w h o was in M an g ru m ’ s

b ed ro o m , co m i n g o u t o f a cl o s et an d wal k i n g t o ward t h e b at h ro o m

. Pag e was h o l d i n g

M an g u m ’ s wi fe’ s jewel ry b o x i n o n e h an d an d carry i n g M an g ru m ’ s g u n i n th e o t h er

h an d. Pag e p o i n t ed t h e g u n at M a n g r u m a n d t o l d h i m to g et o u t

, at w h i ch p o i nt

M an g ru m fi rs t fl ed t o an o t h er b ed ro o m an d t h en b ack t o t h e bas em en t an d o u t s i de.

Fro m a n ei gh bo r’ s h o u s e, Man g ru m cal led 9 11

, an d wh en p o l i ce arri v ed at t h e s cen e,

M an g ru m s aw p i eces o f jewel ry s cat t ered i n t h e h ou s e al o n g t h e ro u t e Pag e wo u ld

h av e t ak en fro m

t h e b ed ro o m

t o es cap e v i a t h e k i t ch en

.

Bas ed o n t h e fo reg o i ng , Pag e was co n v i ct ed o f m u l t ip l e cri m e s , i n cl u d i n g

arm ed ro b b ery

. He no w ap p eal s , an d rel y i n g o n t h e S u p r e m e Co u rt o f G eo rg i a’ s

3 See Fo x v. S t a t e , 2 8 9 G a. 3 4

, 3 5 -3 6 (1 ) (a) (7 0 9 SE2 d 2 0 2) (2 0 11 ) (ap p l y i n g

t h e s t an d ard o f rev i ew an n o u n ced i n Ja cks o n v. Vi r g i ni a , 4 43 U. S. 3 0 7, 31 9 (9 9 SCt

2 7 8 1

, 6 1 LE2 d 56 0) (1 9 7 9 ), t h at ev i d en ce wi l l be vi ewed i n t h e l i gh t m o st fav o rab l e

t o t h e v erd i ct an d an y is s u es o f wi t n es s cred i b i l i t y o r i n co n s i st en cy o f ev i d en ce are fo r t h e fact fi n d er t o res o l v e).

2o p i n i o n s i n Fo x , 4 a n d H i cks v. S t a t e , 5 Pag e co n t en d s t h at h is t ak i n g o f t h e p ro p ert y

was co m p l et e p ri o r t o h is co m i n g i n t o t h e i m m ed iat e p res en ce o f M an g um

.

Pag e was ch arg ed wi t h co m m i tt i ng arm ed ro b bery o f M an g u m b y t ak i n g

M an g u m ’ s fi rearm an d jewel ry b o x “ b y u s e o f an o ffen s i v e weap o n

. . . a h an d g u n.”

Th u s, as i n Fo x , t he St at e was req ui red t o es tab l i s h “ b ey o n d a reas o n ab l e d o u b t t h at

[Pag e’ s ] us e o f a h an d g u n o ccu rred ‘ p ri o r t o o r co n t em p o ran eo u s ly wi th t h e t ak i n g .’ ” 6

Th e St at e, p ri m ari l y ci t i n g Ca n t r el l v. S t a t e , 7 Du t t o n v. S t a t e , 8 an d Nu ckl es v.

S t a t e , 9 arg u es t h at th e ev i d en ce was s u ffi ci en t t o co n v i ct Pag e fo r arm ed ro b b ery

b ecau s e t h e t ak i n g d i d n ot o ccu r u n t i l Pag e ex erci sed d o m i n i o n o v er th e p ro p ert y by

t h reat en in g M an g u m wi t h t he g u n . Th o s e cas es , h o wev er, are i n ap p o s i te. In Du t t o n

an d Nu ckl es t h e d efen d an t s d i d n o t ex erci se d o m i n i o n an d co n t ro l o v er t h e p ro p ert y

at i s su e u n t i l t hey t hreat en ed t h e s t o re cl erk s at t he t i m e p a ym e n t wo u ld h av e b een

4 2 8 9 Ga. at 3 6 -3 7 (1 ) (b ).

5 2 3 2 Ga. 3 9 3, 4 02 -4 0 3 (2 0 7 SE2 d 3 0 ) (1 9 7 4 ).

6 Fo x , 2 8 9 Ga. at 3 6 (1 ) (b ).

7 1 8 4 Ga. Ap p . 3 8 4 (3 6 1 SE2 d 6 8 9 ) (1 9 8 7 ).

8 1 9 9 Ga. Ap p . 7 5 0 (4 0 6 SE2 d 8 5 ) (1 9 9 1 ).

9 1 3 7 Ga. Ap p . 2 0 0 (2 2 3 SE2 d 2 4 5 ) (1 9 7 6 ).

3ex p ect ed u n d er no rm al ci rcu m s t an ces

. 1 0 In Ca n t r el l

, t h e d efen d an t d i d n o t ex erci s e

d o m i n i on an d co n t ro l ov er t h e s t o l en i t em u n t il h e u s ed fo rce b ecau s e h e prev i o u s l y

act ed as i f h e s i m

p l y was b o rro wi n g t he i t em

. 1 1

In t h i s cas e, as i n Hi cks

, Pag e had ex erci s ed co n t ro l o v er t h e i t em s (t h e g u n an d

t h e jewel ry b o x ) p ri o r t o ex ert i n g an y fo rce ag ai n s t M an g u m , wh o ap p eared aft er

Pag e had o b t ai n ed t h e i tem s

. 1 2 M o reo v er, n ei t h er ou r rev iew o f t h e r e c o rd n o r t h e

St at e’ s b ri ef rev eal s ev i d en ce i n t h e reco rd t o ex cl u d e t h e h y p ot h es is t h at Pag e l eft

t h e s cen e aft er co nfro n t in g M an g u m wi t h o ut t ak i n g ad d it i o n al p ro p ert y

. 1 3

Acco rd in g ly , h i s co n v i ct i o n fo r arm ed ro b b ery i s rev ers ed

.

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Ph i p p s , P. J., a n d

Bo gg s

, J., co n cu r

.

1 0 See Du t t o n , 1 9 9 Ga. Ap p

. at 7 5 0; Nu ckl es , 1 3 7 Ga. Ap p

. at 20 1 (1 ), 2 0 4 (5 ).

1 1 See Ca nt rel l

, 1 84 Ga. Ap p . at 3 85 (1 ).

1 2 See Hi cks , 2 3 2 Ga. at 4 0 2 -4 0 3

.

1 3 See Fo x , 2 89 G a. at 3 7 (1 ) (b ) (rev ers i n g arm ed ro b b ery co n v i ct i o n b ecau s e

“ [t ] o warran t a co nv i ct i o n o n ci rcu m s t an t ial ev i d en ce, th e p ro v ed fact s s h al l n o t o n l y b e co n s i s t en t wi t h t h e h y p o t hes i s o f g u i l t

, b u t s h al l ex cl u de ev ery o t h er reas o n ab l e h y p o t h es i s s av e t h at o f t h e g u i l t o f t h e accu s ed ,” an d t h e ev i den ce p res en ted co u l d n ot

ex cl u d e th e h y

p o th es i s t h at t h e d efen d an t fi rs t r o b b e d t h e h om e befo re k i l l i n g t h e

v i ct i m ) (p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

4