Court Opinion

ID: 9577917
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:39:24.888374+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:21:29.315886
License: Public Domain

Weltner, Justice,
concurring in part; dissenting in part.
I dissent as to the holding in Division 1 of the majority opinion, and to so much of the judgment as works reversal in part.
In Stone v. State, 253 Ga. 433 (321 SE2d 723) (1984), we considered a similar problem. There, a defendant was indicted for murder and another crime. The jury was instructed as to malice murder and felony murder. The verdict was “guilty on both counts.”
*162Decided March 14, 1985 —
Rehearing denied March 28, 1985.
Kenneth D. Kondritzer, for appellant.
Richard A. Malone, District Attorney, Michael J. Bowers, Attorney General, Eddie Snelling, Jr., for appellee.
“When a verdict is unclear as to which type of murder (malice or felony) is found, a defendant is deemed guilty of the lesser offense of felony murder. Burke v. State, 248 Ga. 124 (281 SE2d 607) (1981). In this case, however, because Count 1 of the indictment charged only malice murder, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty on that count, there is no ambiguity. Accordingly, Stone was convicted of malice murder.” 253 Ga. at 434.
In this case, the verdict was “guilty of Count 1— murder.” If anything, this verdict is less ambiguous than the verdict we affirmed in Stone.
Accordingly, I would affirm all of the convictions, as well as the sentence.