Opinion ID: 1238053
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Other Enumerations of Error

Text: 13. At a pre-trial hearing, the defendant called one of the assistant district attorneys who later prosecuted the case, Douglas Pullen, to the stand. Pullen testified that some 3 or 4 years earlier the victim's father, who was in a roofing business, had roofed his house. He said that he had had perhaps half a dozen chance encounters with Mr. Isham since then, that he respected him and always made it a point to speak to him, and that he addressed Isham by his first name and had told Isham to use his first name but Isham continued to call him Mr. Pullen. Pullen also testified that his position that this was an appropriate case in which to seek the death penalty was based on the facts of this case and not on his acquaintance with the victim's father. The defendant moved to disqualify Pullen from participating in the case because he was acquainted with the victim's family and because he opposed letting the defendant plead guilty in return for a life sentence. The trial court did not err in overruling the motion. There is no indication that Pullen's slight acquaintance with the victim's father affected his professional judgment. 14. The indictment against the defendant was returned on January 31, 1984. His representation was at first undertaken by the public defender's office; on March 27, 1984, the trial court appointed attorneys Richard Hagler and Stephen Hyles to represent him. Hagler and Hyles filed numerous motions on defendant's behalf including a challenge to the array of the grand jury and objection to grand jury (June 29, 1984); a demand for a copy of the indictment and a list of witnesses and a defense discovery motion (June 29, 1984); a motion to preserve evidence (August 6, 1984); a request for discovery of defendant's statements (August 6, 1984); a motion for discovery (August 6, 1984); a motion for funds for employment of an independent investigator (August 6, 1984); a motion to compel to not pursue the death penalty (August 6, 1984); a demand for a list of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury (August 6, 1984); a request for discovery of scientific reports (August 6, 1984); a motion for psychiatric assistance (August 8, 1984); a demand for trial (October 2, 1984); a motion in limine (October 2, 1984); a motion for a preliminary hearing (October 2, 1984); a motion for change of venue (October 10, 1984); a motion to recuse the trial judge (October 10, 1984); [6] and a motion to disqualify the assistant district attorney (October 10, 1984). Hagler and Hyles also participated in hearings on June 29, 1984; August 22, 1984; and December 17, 1984. Toward the end of the December 17 hearing, Hyles suggested that the court should, in accordance with the Unified Appeal procedure, ask the defendant if he was satisfied with his counsel. The court did so, and Davis answered that he was not satisfied and he was relieving them. The court pointed out that Davis did not have the authority to discharge his appointed counsel and then let Davis voice his objections. He had three main complaints  one, that they were not doing anything; two, that Hyles had discussed his case with another of his clients who was also an inmate at the prison; and three, that Hagler had lied when he told Davis that Underwood had refused to testify at the August 22 hearing. The trial court overruled the defendant's objections. Later at the close of the evidence, while the jury was deliberating on the guilt or innocence of the accused, and subsequent to the verdicts of guilt being returned but prior to the sentencing phase, the trial judge asked the defendant if he objected to the way his attorneys had handled the case and he said he did. He did not elaborate, but instead relied on his earlier complaint and on general allegations that they were not doing a good job. Each time the trial court found that they had been competent attorneys and represented him well. As the Unified Appeal Procedure contemplates, 246 Ga. A-1, A-8-11, the defendant was given an opportunity to voice his complaints and the trial court was in a position to evaluate them. The record supports the trial court's conclusions and we find no error. Smith v. Francis, 253 Ga. 782 (1) (325 SE2d 362) cert. denied 106 SC 260, 88 LE2d 266 (1985). 15. The defendant complains that the trial court erred in refusing to charge on the lesser included offenses of robbery, theft, involuntary manslaughter, hindering apprehension, or concealing a death. In fact, the only charges on lesser included offenses which he requested were those on concealing a death and theft by taking, and those requests were made orally. The failure to charge on a lesser included crime is not error in the absence of a written request. Maher v. State, 239 Ga. 305 (5) (236 SE2d 647) (1977); State v. Stonaker, 236 Ga. 1 (222 SE2d 354) (1976). 16. The defendant contends that continual misconduct by the prosecutors throughout the guilt-innocence proceedings deprived him of a fair trial. He cites numerous instances of alleged misconduct, grouping them under the categories of misstatements of the law, statements of personal opinion, references to the penalty phase, improper cross-examination of the defendant, insulting the integrity of the defense counsel, untrue statements of fact, and closing argument. We have reviewed each reference to the transcript and considered each argument made by the defendant. We note that many of the objections he attempts to raise on appeal were not made at trial and were therefore waived. In other instances, his objections were sustained. Additionally, many simply do not constitute misconduct. To the extent that the prosecutor may have overstepped his bounds, he did not do so to an extent that resulted in reversible error. Ford v. State, 255 Ga. 81 (8i) (335 SE2d 567) (1985). [7]