Court Opinion

ID: 9593315
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:21:33.818111+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:20.357149
License: Public Domain

Almand, Justice,
dissenting. I dissent only from the ruling of the majority in Division 5(c) of the opinion and the corresponding Division 5(c) in the headnote and the judgment of affirmance. As pointed out in this dissent, I would affirm on condition of the outcome of future proceedings in the case.
In Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368 (84 SC 1774, 12 LE2d 908) the Supreme Court of the United States held that the procedural method of passing upon the voluntariness or unvoluntariness of *206confessions in criminal cases, as practiced and sanctioned' by the State of New York, violated the constitutional rights of the defendant. The procedural methods in such cases are the same in the State of Georgia as in the State of New York. The trial court in this case followed the procedure long approved by this court and approved by the United States Supreme Court in Stein v. New York, 346 U.S. 156 (73 SC 1077, 97 LE 1522), until it was overruled on June 22, 1964, by Jackson v. Denno, supra. The instant case was tried subsequently to Jackson v. Denno, supra, and was controlled by the ruling there made.
I would reverse the trial court solely upon the ground that the procedure followed in the instant case for determining the voluntariness of defendant’s confession violates the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Jackson v. Denno, supra, with direction that a jury be impaneled as required in a capital felony case for the sole purpose of determining whether the confession was or was not voluntarily given, and if the court finds it was voluntarily given, it be admitted in evidence and submit the question, under proper instructions, to the jury. If the jury finds that it was voluntary, the judgment denying a new trial will stand affirmed. But if either the trial judge or the jury finds that it was not voluntarily given, the judgment denying a new trial will stand reversed, and a new trial is ordered on the guilt or innocence of the defendant without the confession being admissible in evidence. Code § 6-1610. Compare Wilson v. State, 173 Ga. 275 (5e) (160 SE 319).