Court Opinion

ID: 9854118
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:01:21.245243+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:56.309858
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting.
This is a burglary case in which victim’s home was broken into and numerous items were missing, including a shotgun, later recovered and identified. I concur fully in Divisions 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and in the result of Division 7, although I do not agree to all that is said therein. I dissent as to Division 2. My view as to the enumerations of error set forth in Division 2 would require the grant of a new trial.
It is quite clear that during the examination of witnesses here, the court embarked upon an inquisitory examination of certain witnesses in which the court abused its power and departed from being the trial judge and sought to prosecute the case; that is, take the case away from the assistant district attorney representing the state. The result of such attitude on the part of the trial judge was an unfair trial for the defendant.
Code Ann. § 81-1009 applies to the court just as it applies to counsel, and neither counsel nor the court may make improper remarks in the presence of the jury. If counsel’s conduct in so doing is erroneous, a fortiori, the court’s conduct is even more improper and more harmful. See Jefferson v. State, 80 Ga. 16 (2) (5 SE 293); Jenkins v. State, 123 Ga. 523 (3) (51 SE 386); Thompson v. State, 203 Ga. 416, 419 (47 SE2d 54).
Here defendant’s counsel was attempting to question a witness and the court stated: "I don’t see how it could be any clearer. He’s stated what he told the police and has stated to the jury what happened and now the ultimate question is with the jury.” This language is argumentative and violates the law with respect to the judge’s making argumentative remarks in the presence of the jury. See Alexander v. State, 114 Ga. 266 (1) (40 SE *751231); Potter v. State, 117 Ga. 693, 695 (45 SE 37); Gillis v. Bowman, 132 Ga. 762 (1) (64 SE 1096); Hubbard v. State, 108 Ga. 786 (33 SE 814); Varner v. W. & A. R. Co., 108 Ga. 813 (34 SE 166). This was an expression by the court of what the evidence showed. This statement was highly improper.
Another example of how the court improperly injected itself again into the examination of the defendant is as follows: "All right, Mr. Workman, you’ve testified that you had heard that Mr. Pounds had a reputation for being a fence for stolen goods. Mr. Philips has asked you who went on your bond, and you said Mr. Pounds did. Can you explain to the jury why he went on your bond?” Again, this was highly improper since it implied improper conduct and activity of the defendant in securing a bondsman. The trial judge has the right to propound questions to any witness for the purpose of developing the truth of the case, but the court should not imply, express, or intimate an opinion on the facts of the case, and, of course, the same should not be argumentative in character. See Wilson v. State, 229 Ga. 224 (190 SE2d 78). When the examination of witnesses by the trial judge is detrimental to the defense and in any manner leads to the conclusion as to the defendant’s guilt or innocence, it would deprive him of a fair trial. Dunn v. State, 123 Ga. App. 607 (182 SE2d 317). See also in this case Code of Judicial Conduct, Canons 2A and 3A (3), 231 Ga. A-3.
The transcript in Ingram v. State, 134 Ga. App. 935, 939 (7) (216 SE2d 608) was not set out, so we have no way to compare that case to this, but from my examination of the testimony shown above, the trial judge departed from a position of impartiality during this trial to the extent that an unfair trial resulted.
I therefore dissent and would vote to grant a new trial in this case.
I am authorized to state that Judge Clark concurs in this dissent.