Court Opinion

ID: 9588732
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:37:36.53498+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:00.160976
License: Public Domain

dissenting.
Because I believe that the trial court committed reversible error in refusing appellant’s requested charge on misdemeanor possession of marijuana, I must respectfully dissent from the holding in Division 2 of the majority opinion. Pursuant to the ruling in State v. Stonaker, 236 Ga. 1 (222 SE2d 354) (1976), “it is now discretionary for the court on its own volition to charge on a lesser crime of that included in the indictment. But if there is a written request to charge on lesser included crimes in the indictment, and if the evidence warrants such requested charge or charges, it is error for the court to fail to so charge as requested.” Malone v. State, 142 Ga. App. 47 (234 SE2d 844) (1977). The majority correctly states that no such charge is required, even if requested, if there is no evidence to warrant such a charge. However, I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that, in this case, there was no evidence to support a charge as to possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. The majority seems to focus only upon the *628fact that “the twenty-five small bags of marijuana were found together in one large garbage bag.” If the only evidence of marijuana possession by the appellant were the evidence concerning the twenty-five small bags of marijuana, I would agree with the majority because it would not be plausible for a jury to find that the appellant possessed one but not all of the twenty-five bags found in the same larger garbage bag. However, the majority has overlooked other evidence submitted by the state as to possession of marijuana. As pointed out in Division 1 of the majority opinion, “traces were also found inside the bags of two vacuum cleaners and on one vacuum cleaner, in an ashtray on the fireplace mantle, on the floor around a pool table, in the barn area, under the breakfast table and directly under a window seat. Residue was found in the bedroom dressing area, in a closet, in the bathroom and in two tobacco pipes found in the pantry.” (Majority opinion, p. 625.) As the majority has acknowledged in Division 1, the trial court correctly “charged on criminal intent and that appellant had to knowingly possess the marijuana.” Although appellant denied knowledge of or possession of any controlled substance, the jury could have believed appellant as to the larger quantities, but simply been unable to accept his denial of knowledge of and possession of some of the smaller quantities such as, for example, that found in the tobacco pipes. I believe that there was sufficient evidence to support a charge on the lesser included offense of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and that the failure of the trial court to give the written request constitutes reversible error requiring a new trial. Jones v. State, 151 Ga. App. 560 (260 SE2d 555) (1979).
I am authorized to state that Judge Pope joins in this dissent.