Court Opinion

ID: 9852156
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:25:36.398336+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:23.423467
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
concurring specially. The majority opinion in this case holds that the trial judge has a discretion to refuse a continuance in a criminal case because of the absence of a material witness, and affirms the judgment refusing such continuance for that reason. I do not believe that such discretion resides in the trial judge, where a defendant in a criminal case moves for continuance because of absence of a witness, and shows that he has complied with all of the requirements of the statute, to wit, Code Ann. § 81-1410 (Ga. L. 1959, p. 342). All of the authorities I have read on the subject as to the trial court’s discretion are premised on cases where there was not a full compliance with the statute. See Adams v. State, 50 Ga. App. 507, 509 (179 SE2d 223); United Motor *132Freight Terminals v. Driver, 75 Ga. App. 571 (1) (44 SE2d 156), and cits. In Carroll v. Crawford, 218 Ga. 635, 638 (129 SE2d 865) it is held: "In order that the discretion of the trial judge be controlled where a continuance is sought because of the absence of a witness, eight requirements as set out in Code Ann. § 81-1410 must be shown. Where as in this case the statutory requirements are not met, it is no abuse of the judge’s discretion to deny a continuance. Carr v. Dickson, 58 Ga. 144; Cobb v. State, 110 Ga. 314 (35 SE 178); Tompkins v. American Land Co., 139 Ga. 377 (1) (77 SE 623).” (Emphasis supplied.)
In the case sub judice, the defendant did not show a full compliance with the statute, and the trial court properly overruled his motion for a continuance for that reason.