Opinion ID: 1411426
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Special Demurrer

Text: 3. Hickey contends that the trial court erred in denying a special demurrer to the indictment. Hickey and his co-defendants were charged in three counts of the indictment with stabbing the victim. Hickey filed a special demurrer requesting notice of whether the State was traveling under the theory that he was the principal, or whether he was being accused as a party to the crime. The State opposed the demurrer and refused to re-indict. Also, the State requested and obtained a jury instruction on parties to a crime. In combination, Hickey submits that he was denied due process of law. The true test of the sufficiency of an indictment to withstand a special demurrer is not whether it could have been made more definite and certain, but whether it contains the elements of the offense intended to be charged, and sufficiently apprises the defendant of what he must be prepared to meet, and, in case any other proceedings are taken against him for a similar offense, whether the record shows with accuracy to what extent he may plead a former acquittal or conviction. It is useful to remember that the purpose of the indictment is to allow defendant to prepare his defense intelligently and to protect him from double jeopardy. State v. English, 276 Ga. 343, 346(2)(a), 578 S.E.2d 413 (2003). The law is well-settled in Georgia that the State is not required to specify in the indictment that it is charging the defendant as a party to the crime. John v. State, 282 Ga. 792, 793(2), 653 S.E.2d 435 (2007). In addition, the trial court correctly charged the jury on parties to a crime as the charge was a correct statement of the law and was adjusted to the evidence (see Division 1 supra). See Wade v. State, 261 Ga.App. 587(3), 583 S.E.2d 251 (2003). Since the indictment as drawn allowed Hickey to intelligently prepare a defense and adequately safeguarded him against double jeopardy, it follows that the indictment was legally sufficient and was not subject to a special demurrer. English, supra at 346(2)(a), 578 S.E.2d 413.