Opinion ID: 1332784
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendant Crumpler's Enumerations of Error

Text: 10. Defendant Crumpler also cites error in the refusal of the state to provide, at the beginning of the trial under his notice to produce, the grand jury testimony of witness Faye Brown Floyd. At trial, she was a witness for the defense, who testified contrary to state's witness Terry Lupin, that during one evening when she, Lupin, Billy Smith and Tommy Baker were at defendant Kesler's home, defendant Crumpler had come in drunk, but had not said that he had to be at the sheriff's office the next day and that he expected to be arrested. Defendant Crumpler claims that he was prejudiced by the state's refusal to provide to him her grand jury testimony because the state used that information, to which he did not have access, to cross examine her. [6] At trial, the district attorney asked whether defendant Crumpler generally fit in with defendant Kesler's circle of friends. She answered, no. The district attorney then used her grand jury testimony to show how she had previously answered the question: I would say not. I could never understand why he would go over there because he was such a scary person. Upon objection to the use of this unproduced grand jury testimony, the district attorney offered to turn over to the defense the one page referred to in his cross examination. Defendant Crumpler did not avail himself of this offer, but insisted on production of her entire testimony under his notice to produce. The trial court refused. He asserts that this ruling was erroneous. Testimony before the grand jury has traditionally been unavailable to criminal defendants in this state. The grand jury as a public institution serving the community might suffer if those testifying today knew that the secrecy of their testimony would be lifted tomorrow. This `indispensable secrecy of grand jury proceedings,' United States v. Johnson, [319 U. S. 503] supra, at p. 513, must not be broken except where there is a compelling necessity. United States v. Procter & Gamble, 356 U. S. 677, 682 (78 SC 983, 2 LE2d 1077) (1958). No compelling necessity having been shown, we do not feel compelled to re-evaluate our state rule here. 11. Defendant Crumpler next urges error in the refusal of the trial court to admit Faircloth's Central State Hospital medical records under Code Ann. §§ 38-712 thru 38-716. [7] As we said in Moody v. State, 244 Ga. 247, 249 (260 SE2d 11) (1979), Records which contain diagnostic opinions, conclusions and other statements of third parties not before the court are still not admissible if tendered in toto though relevant portions of such records not subject to such defects may be. Faircloth's records consisted of 59 pages plus the certificate of the custodian and the defense sought to introduce eight pages or parts thereof. The trial court admitted one page and excluded the remaining requested pages on the grounds that they contained conclusions, opinions, interpretations of third persons, uninterpreted symbols and abbreviations, and references to criminal or unlawful conduct. We find no abuse of discretion. Moody v. State, supra, 244 Ga. at 249. 12. Defendant Crumpler also enumerates as error that the trial court appointed the public defender, rather than his retained trial counsel, to handle his indigent appeal. Although the sixth amendment guarantees every defendant the aid of an attorney, that attorney need not be the counsel of the defendant's choosing. Bailey v. State, 240 Ga. 112, 114 (239 SE2d 521) (1977). We find no abuse of discretion. 13. Defendant Crumpler's remaining enumerations of error, including his challenges to several jurors, do not show reversible error. Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.