Court Opinion

ID: 9574990
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:10:33.106965+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:47:45.162265
License: Public Domain

*294On Motion for Rehearing.
On motion for rehearing it is contended by the plaintiff in error that this court did not specifically pass upon special demurrers to the petition of the solicitor-general, praying that the court revoke the defendant’s probationary sentences; and that, in holding that the petition was subject to objection on the ground of misjoinder, this court should have further held that everything which happened subsequently to the erroneous ruling of the trial court on demurrer was nugatory, and should have reversed the sentence of revocation as to both cases instead of only the sentence which the defendant was not yet serving.
Code § 27-2705, dealing with revocation of probation sentences, does not require that any petition for revocation be filed by the solicitor-general or anyone else. The proceeding is initiated under Code provision, either by (a) the probation officer bringing the offender into court (without necessity for a warrant) , or (b) under a warrant issued by the court directing that the defendant be arrested and brought before it. It is general practice in this State, and sound practice, for the warrant to be issued by the court on a written petition calling to the court’s attention the alleged delinquency, but the only Code requirement is that the defendant receive “due examination,” which means that he be given notice and an opportunity to be heard. Balkcom v. Gunn, 206 Ga. 167 (56 S. E. 2d 482); Lester v. Foster, 207 Ga. 596 (63 S. E. 2d 402). There being no requirement that the proceeding be initiated by written petition of the solicitor-general, technical defects in such a petition when filed would not vitiate the warrant issued by the court or subsequent proceedings thereon, provided the requirements of notice and opportunity to be heard are complied with, as they were in this case. The petition is in the nature of a memorandum to the court for its information in deciding whether a warrant should be issued. If relied upon to show notice to the defendant, it must be sufficiently definite to fulfill this function. Of course, where it appears that the information contained in the petition is that upon which the warrant is issued, and where the allegations thereof are insufficient to show a violation of the probation sentence, under such circumstances the question of whether or not a violation of the probation sentence is charged may be tested by a motion to strike the petition and warrant based thereon, or by a general *295demurrer in the nature thereof. However, where any part of the petition and warrant are sufficient to allege a violation of the probation sentence sought to be revoked, the proceedings cannot be defeated merely because a part of such petition is subject to special demurrer.