Court Opinion

ID: 9624635
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:12:21.877377+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:51.875711
License: Public Domain

Deen, Judge,
concurring specially. In further considering Code Ann. § 70-207 (a), this Code section finds its origin in Federal Rule 51, which provides: "No party may assign as *181error the giving or failure to give an instruction unless he objects thereto before the jury retires to consider its verdict, stating distinctly the matter to which he objects and the grounds of his objection. Opportunity shall be given to make the objection out of the hearing of the jury.”
Concerning this rule Moore says: "The Rule does not require formality, and it is not important in what form an objection is made or even that a formal objection is made at all, as long as it is clear that the trial judge understood the position; the purpose of the Rule is to inform the trial judge of possible errors so that he may have an opportunity to correct them. By the same token, a mere general objection is insufficient. . .” 5A Moore, Fed. Practice, § 51.04, p. 2521.
Our rule, found in Code Ann. § 70-207 (a), provides: "Except as otherwise provided in this section, in all civil cases, no party may complain of the giving or the failure to give an instruction to the jury, unless he objects thereto before the jury returns its verdict, stating distinctly the matter to which he objects and the ground of his objection. Opportunity shall be given to make the objection out of the hearing of the jury, and objection need not be made with the particularity of assignments of error (abolished by this law) and need only be as reasonably definite as the circumstances will permit.”
Thus, the General Assembly specifically provided against any requirement of particularity such as may have been indicated in the language that we have used in some of our decisions. I think it had in mind the same test which Professor Moore says is to be applied in making objections under the Federal Rule — if the objection is sufficient to indicate to the trial judge what the party’s position is, or what he is contending to be error in the charge, it is enough.
In Smith v. Nelson, 123 Ga. App. 712 (182 SE2d 332), we dealt with an exception to the charge which appellee contended was lacking in the specificity required by our prior decisions. We examined the objection, concluded that it was *182enough to apprise the trial judge of what the objector was contending to be error in the charge, and observed that "If heretofore we have, on occasion, been more restrictive than the statute our rulings should yield to the statute.” P. 722.
We therefore specifically disapprove this above quoted statement in Maddox and any other cases in which it may have appeared. The objection to the instruction of the court considered in this division of this opinion was almost a page and a half in length and amply apprised the court of the objecting party’s contentions.
This view is not in conflict with the requirement that the grounds of objection be made known to the court, as found in Royal Frozen Foods v. Garrett, 119 Ga. App. 424, 427 (167 SE2d 400), or in City of Macon v. Smith, 117 Ga. App. 363, 377 (160 SE2d 622) — for the statute requires that. Nor does it conflict with holdings that the grounds cannot be enlarged on appeal to include grounds not urged before the trial court, as found in Black v. Aultman, 120 Ga. App. 826, 828 (172 SE2d 336), and in Fidelity-Phenix Fire Ins. Co. v. Mauldin, 123 Ga. App. 108, 111 (179 SE2d 525), or with the rule that where no exception is made before verdict error claimed on appeal will not be reviewed, unless it is deemed to be substantial and error as a matter of law under § 70-207 (c), as we have held in many cases, such as Worsham v. Trimble, 120 Ga. App. 180 (169 SE2d 689) or with the rule that a mere general exception to the charge or a portion of it is insufficient to raise any issue for decision, as we have held in McChargue v. Black Grading Contractors, 122 Ga. App. 1, 6 (176 SE2d 212), and in Crider v. State, 114 Ga. App. 523, 526 (151 SE2d 792). These rulings are consistent with the statutory requirement that the exception be made before verdict, stating the matter or portion of charge excepted to and the ground of objection. See also Horton v. Ammons, 125 Ga. App. 69. Upon circulation of this case to the whole court a memorandum was prepared by Judge Eberhardt, containing the material used in this special concurrence. This material has been adopted by the writer of this special concurrence.
*183Presiding Judges Jordan and Hall, and Judge Eberhardt join in this special concurrence.
Bell, Chief Judge, speaking for the court. My colleagues suggest, and I agree, that the last sentence in Headnote 1 in the case of Ga. Power Co. v. Maddox, 113 Ga. App. 642 (149 SE2d 393) says too much, goes too far, and is too restrictive on counsel. The sentence reads: "The grounds of error urged must fully apprise the court of the error committed and the correction needed to cure the error.” The last clause, particularly, is faulty as it may be construed as imposing the obligation on counsel of suggesting a correct charge. Obviously, the charge is the responsibility of the court and not of counsel.
Therefore, speaking for myself and all of my colleagues participating in this case, that sentence found in Division 1 and the corresponding headnote in the case of Ga. Power Co. v. Maddox, 113 Ga. App. 642, supra, stating that "The grounds of error urged must fully apprise the court of the error committed and the correction needed to cure the error” is specifically overruled and ordered stricken from that case and from all other cases quoting and citing the sentence.

All of the Judges of the court concur, except Whitman, J., not participating because of illness, and Evans, J., disqualified.