Court Opinion

ID: 9854498
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:08:25.496691+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:07.031481
License: Public Domain

Weltner, Justice,
dissenting in part.
I concur in the judgment affirming the trial court, and dissent as to Division 3 of the opinion.
*2641. Heard insists that it was error to instruct the jury as follows: “Self-defense is not a defense to felony murder.” The record reflects that the trial court instructed the jury more than once on the defense of justification. The language objected to appears in the charge closely following the court’s instruction concerning the offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
2. (a) The language of the charge is identical to our holding in Ely v. State, 244 Ga. 432, 433 (260 SE2d 345) (1979), and was reiterated in Hall v. State, 259 Ga. 243-244 (1) (378 SE2d 860) (1989). In Hall, the defendant was convicted of felony murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. We held:
Under Georgia law, a person commits the offense of felony murder when, in the commission of a separate felony, he causes the death of another human being irrespective of malice. OCGA § 16-5-1 (c). Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon may be the underlying felony of felony murder. Scott v. State, 250 Ga. 195, 197 (297 SE2d 18) (1982). Self-defense is not a defense to felony murder. Ely v. State, [cit.] The trial court’s instructions on self-defense were a correct and sufficient statement of Georgia law, which did not prevent the jury from considering the appellant’s claims of self-defense as to all of the charges against him except felony murder, to which offense self-defense is no defense. Ely v. State, supra. [Emphasis supplied.]
(b) OCGA § 16-3-21 (b) provides in part:
A person is not justified in using force under the circumstances specified in subsection (a) of this Code section if he: (2) Is attempting to commit, committing, or fleeing after the commission or attempted commission of a felony. . . . [Emphasis supplied.]
3. The charge was not reversible error. The Code section above specifically limits the defense of justification to a person who is not committing a felony. It is undisputed that Heard was a convicted felon; that he had possession of a firearm; that he caused the death of Thompson by means of that firearm; and that the death was caused while Thompson was engaged in the commission of a felony (i.e., possession of a firearm by a convicted felon). As to this type of felony murder, “Self-defense is not a defense.” Hall, supra.4
*265Decided April 18, 1991 —
Reconsideration denied May 23, 1991.
Steven W. Reighard, for appellant.
Lewis R. Slaton, District Attorney, Joseph J. Drolet, Carl P. Greenberg, Joseph F. Burford, Assistant District Attorneys, C. A. Benjamin Woolf, for appellee.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Justice Smith joins in this dissent.

 We note, as the trial court charged, that justification is a defense to aggravated assault. Accordingly, justification might be a defense to the charge of felony murder while in the *265commission of an aggravated assault. Hence, the language of Ely and Hall, supra, is too broad, and should not be included in jury instructions without appropriate qualification.