Court Opinion

ID: 9605342
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:34:20.879239+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:59:37.867916
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
Appellants urge, among other grounds, that the opinion of this court was in error in concluding that the record and transcript did not disclose a motion for an order of continuance in the civil proceedings (the trial sub judice) while a criminal proceeding in federal court was pending. Attached to the motion for rehearing is an affidavit by the trial judge that such a motion, oral in nature, was in fact made and denied by the trial court.
Pretermitting the question of whether this court can consider as part of the record, assertions in or documents attached to an appellate brief, we find no error in the denial of the oral motion for a continuance of the civil proceedings during the pendency of the criminal trial.
All applications for continuance are addressed to the sound legal discretion of the court, and, if not expressly provided for, shall be granted or refused as the ends of justice may require. Code Ann. § 81-1419. A refusal to grant a continuance will not be disturbed by appellate courts unless it clearly appears that the trial court abused its discretion in this regard. Marshall v. State, 239 Ga. 101, 102 (1) (236 SE2d 58); Morgan v. State, 135 Ga. App. *555139 (217 SE2d 175).
Appellants argue that forcing them to continue the civil litigation exposed them to problems of self-incrimination, and curtailed their right to a fair trial. Contrary to that assertion, appellants presented cogent and full defenses in the court litigation and indicated in no way in what manner their denial of diversion of funds was inhibited. We find no abuse of discretion in the denial of the motion for continuance. The remaining grounds advanced for a rehearing are similarly without merit. Accordingly, we adhere to our opinion as rendered.