Opinion ID: 1331807
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Testimony of Joy Grizzle

Text: Mooney's fifth enumeration of error urges that the trial court erred in admitting certain testimony of Joy Grizzle, a friend of the victim. She testified that when Harty failed to show up for their date, she quickly investigated and discovered the body, because of a telephone conversation she had previously had with him. He had indicated to her that he was feeling apprehensive about threatening calls and arson, and said he had had a telephone conversation with John Mooney concerning the eviction notice and that Mooney had seemed hostile. The state introduced this testimony under Code Ann. § 38-302 to explain her conduct, and Mooney's argument that the testimony was inadmissible is pitched mainly on this sentence from Arnold v. State, 236 Ga. 534, 536-537 (224 SE2d 386) (1976), discussing the application of Code Ann. § 38-302: Although the better practice is to bring out the fact of the conversation without relating the exact words used, where the details are given there is no reversible error unless the words are prejudicial. Kelly v. State, 82 Ga. 441 (9 SE 171) (1889). (Emphasis supplied.) Mooney argues that here the words were prejudicial, and therefore under Arnold the testimony was inadmissible. That is incorrect. Kelly v. State does not hold and Arnold should not be read to rule, that Code Ann. § 38-302 will not allow introduction of prejudicial evidence. That is not the law of this state, e.g., Lloyd v. State, 139 Ga. App. 625 (229 SE2d 106) (1976). In fact, the prejudicial nature of such evidence is largely irrelevant unless the testimony offends some other rule of evidence, which was the claim which Arnold made  he argued that it put his character in issue. 236 Ga. at 537. Arnold does not support Mooney's claim of error here. The jury were instructed more than once that this evidence was to be used only to explain the witness' conduct. We see no basis for Mooney's further assertion that somehow this telephone conversation went to the jury as an admission by him which he had never had the opportunity to challenge. Mooney's confrontation rights were not violated by this testimony. Harrell v. State, 241 Ga. 181 (243 SE2d 890) (1978). See also Bell v. State, 141 Ga. App. 277 (233 SE2d 253) (1977).