Court Opinion

ID: 9569754
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:17:05.171979+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:03:55.865954
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur fully in Division 1 of the majority opinion. I concur as well in the majority’s conclusions in Division 2 that appellant has not waived the right to raise on appeal the issue of the propriety of the restitution order, and that the case must be remanded for written findings of fact as required by OCGA § 17-14-8 addressing the factors set forth in OCGA § 17-14-10. However, the record does not reveal the precise information available to the trial court in considering restitution, although it does show documents relevant to several of the required factors. It may be that sufficient information was presented to the court to allow consideration of the required factors without the necessity of another hearing. As stated in Gould v. State, 190 Ga. App. 611 (381 SE2d 442) (1989) and Garrett v. State, 175 Ga. App. 400 (1) (333 SE2d 432) (1985), the trial judge is the best judge of whether a hearing is necessary upon remand or whether sufficient information exists in the present record to enable the required findings to be made. I would defer to the trial court’s judgment on that issue and would not order that a new hearing be held.