Court Opinion

ID: 9580090
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:01:44.485362+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:01.501217
License: Public Domain

Ingram, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent because the majority opinion does not answer appellant’s contention that the state failed to establish probable cause at the commitment hearing to bind appellant over to the grand jury on the crime of *725criminal trespass. The majority opinion holds this issue is moot as appellant has now been indicted. These issues were raised and decided adversely to appellant in the court below before indictment and they deserve an answer from this court.
It does not take much evidence to establish probable cause but surely it must take some; otherwise, the probable cause requirement of the law is no requirement at all. In this case, appellant was bound over to the grand jury solely on the hearsay testimony of a police officer who had no personal knowledge of the incident in question. In my opinion, this amounts to no evidence at all and probable cause was not shown on the criminal trespass charge.
If the officer had seen the crime committed or the state had produced any other competent witness who could testify from personal knowledge the commitment judge would have had a sufficient evidentiary basis to find probable cause.
Code Ann. § 27-405 plainly says, among other things, that, "[t]he [commitment] court shall hear all legal evidence submitted by either party.” (Emphasis supplied.) Legal evidence does not include hearsay evidence.
I feel bound to apply the Georgia statute as written and, therefore, dissent to the majority opinion.
I am authorized to state that Justice Hill joins in this dissent.