Opinion ID: 1331807
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Identity of Police Tipster

Text: In his final enumeration of error Mooney alleged that the trial court erred in refusing to order the state to reveal the identity of a person who supposedly revealed to police that he had heard that Harty sold marijuana and hard drugs and was killed in connection with a drug deal. In response to Mooney's Brady motion, a hearing was held resulting in the trial court's decision that the individual in question was a mere tipster whose identity need not be divulged. We agree with the trial court. The transcript of the hearing at which the officer testified reveals that the tipster had no personal knowledge of the crime and was merely repeating the conversation of an unknown person he had overheard at a party. The officer stated that the person had never given information before and wished to be anonymous, and also that his information was not supportable by any evidence the police were able to uncover. The state was empowered to refuse to identify him, under Code Ann. § 38-1102, on the ground that his contribution was not material to the defense on the issue of guilt or punishment. Roviaro v. United States, 353 U. S. 53 (1957); Moore v. State, 240 Ga. 807, 815 (243 SE2d 1) (1978); Thornton v. State, 238 Ga. 160 (231 SE2d 729) (1977). Mooney's final argument on this point is that if the tipster may not be identified, at least the jury should be allowed to hear the officer's recitation of what the tipster's information had been. The trial court did not err in refusing the admission of this hearsay. ... [I]f the state proves to the court's satisfaction that the informer is a pure tipster, who has neither participated in nor witnessed the offense, any evidence he might offer would be hearsay and inadmissible. Thus, the tipster's identity could not be material to the guilt or innocence of the defendant under Brady or be relevant and helpful to the defense under Roviaro. Thornton, supra, 238 Ga. at 165. The trial court's rulings on this point did not violate Mooney's civil rights under 42 USC § 1983 nor his constitutional right to confront witnesses against him. All enumerations of error having been examined and found without merit, Mooney's conviction for murder and sentence to life imprisonment are affirmed. Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur, except Hill, J., who concurs in the judgment only.