Court Opinion

ID: 9847275
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:57:02.658817+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:05.496997
License: Public Domain

*488Evans, Judge,
dissenting. I dissent from Division 2 of the opinion and the judgment of affirmance.
The transcript in this case shows that prior to the introduction of evidence, while out of the presence of the jury, defense counsel objected to the State requiring defendant’s wife to appear before the jury and testify as to her unwillingness to become a witness against her husband, stating: "This is highly prejudicial, to the defendant, to bring the witness in before the jury and I would like to move at this time that they not call her in before the jury.” State’s counsel insisted upon its right to require defendant’s wife to "state herself from the witness chair whether she does or does not want to testify for or against her husband,” and the trial judge ruled that he had such right. Accordingly, thereafter, during the time when testimony was being introduced on behalf of the State, State’s counsel announced: "The State calls Mrs. Janice Lee Merneigh, the wife of Freddie Joseph Merneigh.” Defense counsel stated: "I believe we will have to have something outside the hearing of the jury.” The court refused to conduct these proceedings outside the presence of the jury and State’s counsel administered an oath to this witness and, after proving her name and relationship to the defendant, inquired: "Q. As the defendant’s wife do you or not wish to testify?” To which she responded: "A. I do not wish to testify for or against,” and she was thereupon excused.
This was very prejudicial to the defendant and could have been so easily obviated by the trial court’s requiring these proceedings conducted in the absence of the jury. Both the trial court and counsel seemed determined to have all this brought out in the presence of the jury which, in my opinion, deprived the defendant of having a fair trial.
It is obvious that State’s counsel was seeking to make the defendant’s wife a witness by implication and innuendo. The jury should not have been concerned with or apprised of whether defendant’s wife wished to testify for or against her husband, and the only conclusion the jury could have reached, under such circumstances, was that the defendant’s wife knew something incriminating against him and therefore refused to be a witness. Immaterial and irrelevant matter should be, by the trial judge, *489kept away from the jury. See Code §§ 38-202 and 38-1704.
Code § 81-1009 provides: "Where counsel in the hearing of the jury make statements of prejudicial matters which are not in evidence, it is the duty of the court to interpose and prevent the same; and, on objection made, he shall also rebuke the counsel, and by all needful and proper instructions to the jury endeavor to remove the improper impression from their minds; or, in his discretion, he may order a mistrial if the plaintiff’s attorney is the offender.” In Poole v. State, 100 Ga. App. 380, 383, (111 SE2d 265), we find the following discussion: "It is axiomatic that on the trial of any case the law is addressed to the court and the facts to the jury; the jury is not concerned with questions of law except as the law relevant to the case is given it in charge by the court. It is also axiomatic that the defendant in any criminal case — indeed, all parties in all cases — are entitled to a fair trial, and that the injection into the case of any matter not properly before the jury and which may influence the outcome of the case one way or another is error. Thus, where the defendant moves for a continuance because the panel of jurors has been made aware, by being present at the arraignment, that not only the indictment for which the defendant is on trial but other like indictments have been preferred against him, the refusal to grant the motion is reversible error. Sides v. State, 213 Ga. 482 (1) (99 SE2d 884).” Likewise, it is improper for the jury to be allowed to hear preliminary evidence as to confessions, admissions, etc. See Hall v. State, 65 Ga. 36; Corker v. Sperling, 8 Ga. App. 100 (3) (68 SE 557); Moody v. State, 224 Ga. 301 (1) (161 SE2d 856); Jackson v. Denno, 378 U. S. 368 (84 SC 1774, 12 LE2d 908, 1 ALR3d 1205). The better practice in such matters is to exclude the jury, especially where there is a timely request therefor, to prevent the jury’s being prejudiced by the discussion of the testimony or a ruling of the court. See Corker v. Sperling, 8 Ga. App. 100 (2), supra; Higgins v. Cherokee Railroad, 73 Ga. 149, 161.
Code § 38-1604, as amended by Ga. L. 1927, p. 145; and Ga. L. 1957, p. 53, gives to the wife the absolute right to refuse to give evidence in any criminal proceeding against her husband, and her rights under this statute were denied her through making her, in effect, become a witness against her husband, in the presence of *490the jury, and making her there claim the right not to testify against her husband.
Because of the foregoing, I dissent and would vote to reverse this case.
I am authorized to state that Chief Judge Bell and Judges Deen and Whitman join in this dissent.