Court Opinion

ID: 9851028
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:06:07.050456+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:47.476996
License: Public Domain

*352Evans, Judge, dissenting.
I dissent from the ruling in Division 1 of the opinion and the judgment of reversal. Division 1 holds that the trial court erred in charging the maximum lawful speed in a residential district is 35 miles per hour. In my opinion, this is completely immaterial, and, if error, was harmless to the defendant.
The collision occurred on November 30, 1967, at about 8:55 p.m., and by the defendant’s own testimony he was running “about 55 miles an hour, I guess.” Code Ann. § 68-1626 (Ga. L. 1953, Nov. Sess., pp. 556, 577; 1959, p. 303; 1961, pp. 438, 439; 1963, p. 26; 1964, pp. 294, 295; 1965, p. 322; 1968, pp. 987, 1158, 1427, 1428, 1429) provides the maximum lawful speed is 50 miles per hour between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise; consequently, he was violating the speed statute by his own testimony. His testimony will be construed most strongly against him. Southern R. Co. v. Hobbs, 121 Ga. 428 (1) (49 SE 294). However, witnesses for the plaintiff established his speed at between 75 and 80 miles per hour, and the jury may well have decided this to be the actual speed he was traveling, because, after a verdict, the evidence is construed in its most favorable light to the prevailing party, and every presumption and inference is in favor of the verdict. Wren v. State, 57 Ga. App. 641, 644 (191 SE 146); Southern R. Co. v. Brock, 132 Ga. 858, 862 (64 SE 1083); Stapleton v. Amerson, 96 Ga. App. 471 (5) (100 SE2d 628); Young Men’s Christian Assn. v. Bailey, 112 Ga. App. 684, 690 (146 SE2d 324).
An inapplicable charge as to negligence is not reversible error unless some hurt is occasioned to the complaining party by such charge. Bibb Mfg. Co. v. Snow, 26 Ga. App. 504 (4) (106 SE 612). Further, it has been held that it is not reversible error to charge an entire Code provision simply because some parts of the statute may not be applicable. Thompson v. Mitchell, 192 Ga. 750 (2) (16 SE2d 540); Yarbrough v. Yarbrough, 202 Ga. 391 (4) (43 SE2d 329). The 35-mile per hour law is a part of Code Ann. § 68-1626, and it can not be contended that all of this statute was inapplicable.
Finally, the trial judge, after objections had been made to *353his charge, with reference to the 35-mile per hour speed limit being error, specifically instructed the jury: “Now, you have in evidence here certain physical characteristics regarding the area where this accident took place. Whether or not the thirty-five mile per hour limit should apply is a matter for the jury to determine. I do not charge you that this is a residence district. Whether the thirty-five mile rule or a forty-five mile rule would be in compliance with law or whether a fifteen-mile per hour rule might apply is a matter entirely for the jury to determine. I do not mean to give you any undue emphasis of this rule or infer that I have any opinion about it.” This was a correct charge under that language at the first of Code Ann. § 68-1626, as follows: “No person shall drive a vehicle on a street or highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle or other conveyance on . . . the highway. . .” which language he had earlier charged the jury; and left it entirely to the jury to determine at what speed defendant could have operated in safety, even as low as 15 miles per hour. Defendant, strangely enough, did not complain of the 15-mile per hour law given in charge, so how could he possibly have been injured by the 35-mile per hour charge? It is readily apparent that in his recharge, the court in effect eliminated the 35-mile per hour law, and went back to the “reasonable and prudent speed” as the jury might determine under all of the facts, evidence and circumstances of the case.
But conceding for the sake of argument that the charge as to 35 miles per hour being the lawful speed limit in a residential district was error, I do not think it could have injured the defendant in this instance. By his own admission he was committing negligence per se in running faster than 50 miles per hour at night, and the 35-mile per hour law would have added nothing to the presumption of negligence against him. He was violating the speed limit under any circumstance. There was also evidence from which the jury could have found him to be *354driving while under the influence of intoxicating beverages in addition to violating the speed law.
I do not believe a new trial should be granted unless harmful error is shown, which I do not conceive to be the case here.
I am authorized to state that Chief Judge Bell and Judge Deen concur in this dissent.