Court Opinion

ID: 9606340
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:49:15.841549+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:34.285219
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
OCGA § 17-8-25 sets forth the requirements which must be met before an appellate court may review a trial judge’s discretion in denying a motion for continuance based upon the absence of a witness. Curry v. State, 177 Ga. App. 609 (1) (340 SE2d 250); Brown v. State, 169 Ga. App. 520, 521 (1) (313 SE2d 777); Luttrell v. State, 176 Ga. App. 508 (3) (336 SE2d 369).
In the case sub judice, defendant did not show that he expected to be able to procure the testimony of the witness at the next term of court or that the request for a continuance was not made for the purpose of delay. This should prevent our finding that the trial court erred in denying the continuance. Luttrell v. State, 176 Ga. App. 508 (3), supra; Cobb v. State, 110 Ga. 314 (1) (35 SE 178); Sutton v. State, 70 Ga. App. 499 (1, 4) (28 SE2d 663). While defendant contends that he was unable to provide proof of the witness’ ability to attend the next term because of action taken by the sheriff to protect the witness, such a conclusion was not compelled by defendant’s evidence in this regard. See OCGA § 17-8-20 and Lucas v. State, 174 Ga. App. 580 (1) (330 SE2d 792). Additionally, it is noted that the case sub judice is not one of those cases such as Brooks v. State, 3 Ga. App. 458 (60 SE 213), wherein it is apparent as a matter of law from the evidence adduced in behalf of defendant’s motion that it is not his purpose to delay the case, but only to procure the attendance of his witness. In the case sub judice, there is no basis for holding the denial of the motion an abuse of the trial court’s discretion. Curry v. State, 177 Ga. App. 609 (1), supra. Therefore, I respectfully dissent as to Division 1 of the majority opinion, as in my view the case sub *239judice should be affirmed in its entirety.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Banke joins in this dissent.