Case Name: THE STATE v. THORNTON
Court: Supreme Court of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1984-11-21
Citations: 253 Ga. 524
Docket Number: 41199
Parties: THE STATE v. THORNTON.
Judges: All the Justices concur, except Hill, C. J., who concurs specially, and Smith, J., who dissents.
Reporter: Georgia Reports
Volume: 253
Pages: 524–531

Head Matter:
41199.
THE STATE v. THORNTON.
(322 SE2d 711)

Opinion:
Weltner, Justice.
Thornton was indicted for the murder of Mary Frances Moss. The state appealed to the Court of Appeals from an order sustaining a motion to suppress evidence, which was entered prior to the impaneling of a jury. OCGA § 5-7-1 (4), 5-7-2. The Court of Appeals transferred the case to this court.
1. The district attorney did not give timely notice to the defense that the state intended to seek the death penalty, Unified Appeal, § II. A. 1., 246 Ga. at A-7, and for this reason this is not a case "in which a sentence of death was imposed or could be imposed." Constitution of Georgia of 1983, Art. VI, Sec. VI, Par. Ill (8). Hence, this appeal was filed properly in the Court of Appeals.
As a matter of policy, however, we deem it appropriate, at the present time, that all murder cases be reviewed by this court. Accordingly, we adopt today the following order: "The Court of Appeals is directed to transfer to the Supreme Court all cases in which either a sentence of death or of life imprisonment has been imposed upon conviction of murder, and all pre-conviction appeals in murder cases, whether or not timely notice was given by the district attorney as required by Unified Appeal, § II. A. 1., 246 Ga. at A-7. This order shall be effective as to cases docketed in the Court of Appeals after December 1, 1984." Collins v. State, 239 Ga. 400, 403 (3) (236 SE2d 759) (1977).
2. More than a year after Thornton was indicted, the police authorities of Cobb County obtained search warrants in both Fulton and Cobb Counties which alleged in part: "Items needed are dental impressions, dental photographs, and dental examination of Nathaniel Thornton, and that said evidence is presently concealed on the person of the named accused and on the premises located at 2612 Bolton Road, Atlanta, Ga. Office of Dr. T. J. David. ." Thornton was taken by the Cobb County police to the office of Dr. David in Fulton County, where dental impressions were made.
Decided November 21, 1984.
Thomas J. Charron, District Attorney, Debra Halpern Bernes, Charles C. Clay, Assistant District Attorneys, Michael J. Bowers, Attorney General, for appellant.
Nathaniel Thornton, pro se.
The trial court granted Thornton's motion to suppress the dental impressions based on the conclusion that the provision against incrimination of the Constitution of Georgia of 1983, Art. I, Sec. I, Par. XVI, had been violated because the police officers had required of Thornton the doing of an act for the purpose of producing evidence to be used against him, as opposed to merely taking evidence from him.
In Day v. State, 63 Ga. 667 (2) (1879), this court held that the incrimination provision of the Georgia Constitution forbids compelling a defendant to place his foot in a track for the purpose of using the results of such a comparison in evidence against him. See to the same effect, Elder v. State, 143 Ga. 363 (85 SE 97) (1915). In Aldrich v. State, 220 Ga. 132 (137 SE2d 463) (1964), a state statute which would require a motor vehicle operator to drive his vehicle upon a set of scales when ordered to do so by a state agent was held to violate the incrimination provision of the Georgia Constitution. In State v. Armstead, 152 Ga. App. 56 (262 SE2d 233) (1979), the Court of Appeals held that a defendant cannot be required to produce a handwriting exemplar to be used in evidence against him.
The holding in Creamer v. State, 229 Ga. 511 (192 SE2d 350) (1972) (where a defendant was required to submit to surgery to remove a bullet from his body to be used in evidence against him) exemplifies a "taking" from an accused of evidence which is not proscribed by our Constitution. See also Strong v. State, 231 Ga. 514 (202 SE2d 428) (1973) (where a blood sample was taken from the defendant to be used in evidence against him.)
The taking of dental impressions comes factually within the latter category of cases. Unlike Creamer, there is here no surgical foray into the body of an accused which would require the additional precaution of an evidentiary hearing before a superior court to assure safe medical procedures. We decline to extend our Constitution so far as would prohibit reasonable police practices, such as the taking of fingerprints, to which the taking of dental impressions is analogous.
Judgment reversed.
All the Justices concur, except Hill, C. J., who concurs specially, and Smith, J., who dissents.