Court Opinion

ID: 9579871
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:59:26.564546+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:35:51.280649
License: Public Domain

Head, Presiding Justice,
dissenting. The uncontradicted evidence for the State shows that immediately preceding the collision which resulted in the death of the deceased the first of four cars (the fourth car being the one operated by the defendant) slowed down or stopped to turn off the highway. Guy Matthews, a witness for the State, testified in part on direct examination: “My place of business and the highway in front of it is all in *135Douglas County. The spot where the collision occurred is in Douglas County. There were three vehicles in front of the ’54 Ford [the car operated by the defendant] when I saw it. The one in front was pulling into my place. The others were slowing down, waiting for him to pull in. As they did this I noticed the ’54 Ford when it came in behind the third car and came out around on the other side of the road into the path of the Rambler [the ear occupied by the deceased.]” On cross-examination the witness testified in part: “Frank Ellison’s car was on the highway just before the accident, followed by three cars, the third of which was the defendant’s vehicle. Frank Ellison’s car slowed up to pull into my used car lot, and the other cars behind him was also slowing up, before the defendant’s car went around either one of them or attempted to go around either one of them. At the time of the impact I would say his entire car was across the center line.”
Jesse Willis, the other eye-witness who testified for the State, testified in part on direct examination: “I saw him [Frank Ellison] coming down the road and there were two cars behind him as he went to turn in. One of the cars was a pretty good distance behind him, and as he slowed up, one car put on its brakes and his tires made a squealing sound, you know, and 1 looked up and this ’54 model green Ford was coming down the road at a pretty high rate of speed, and I knew he was going to hit something if he didn’t slow down, I didn’t know whether he was going to come through the car lot or hit those cars in the rear, or what, but I don’t believe he ever made any attempt to put on his brakes, if he did I never heard it, he just swerved out from behind the third automobile and immediately hit this gentleman right here that was driving the Rambler station wagon head-on. I never seen nothing like that before.”
The testimony of these two witnesses for the State shows that the defendant was confronted with an emergency not resulting solely from his own acts, and presents the theory of accident based upon an error in judgment by the defendant. The trial judge properly charged the jury on accident. Under these facts it is my view that, while a verdict of manslaughter would have been authorized (under other testimony in the case), there is a *136total failure of facts to show such a wanton and wilful disregard for human life as to authorize a presumption of malice. Myrick v. State, 199 Ga. 244, 248 (34 SE2d 36). Since there can be no murder without malice, either express or implied, Wallace v. State, 216 Ga. 180 (115 SE2d 338), neither of which appears from any direct testimony, or from any inference supported by the testimony, the verdict for murder was, in my opinion, wholly unauthorized, and the defendant’s motion for a new trial on the general grounds should have been granted.
I am authorized to say that Mr. Justice Mobley concurs in this dissent.