Court Opinion

ID: 9561941
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:19:10.420058+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:32.337356
License: Public Domain

Nichols, Presiding Judge,
dissenting. I must dissent, for the *521evidence adduced on the hearing to revoke the defendant’s probation was insufficient to show that the defendant had violated the terms of the judgment placing him on probation.
The majority opinion recognizes that it would be a violation of due process of law to revoke a probationary sentence without notice, or without a hearing, yet it insists the rules of evidence do not apply. Code § 38-108 provides: "Generally the rules of evidence are the same in all the courts, and upon every trial the exceptions shall exist only by express statute.” The case of Allen v. State, 78 Ga. App. 526, 529 (51 SE2d 571), from which the majority opinion quotes, shows that the court was not talking about the rules of evidence but the quantum of evidence. It was further said in that case: “The statute guarantees to the probationer the right to due examination by the court before the probation sentence may be revoked. See Roberts v. Lowry, 160 Ga. 494 (2) (128 SE 746); Johnson v. Walls, 185 Ga. 177 (194 SE 380). Such due examination means that the probationer be given notice and an opportunity to be heard upon the question of whether he has, by his conduct, committed acts authorizing the court to revoke his probation. This right would indeed be rendered impotent if the court be permitted, after hearing the evidence, to revoke the probation on mere suspicion; especially where there is positive and uncontradicted testimony by unimpeached witnesses absolving the defendant of the slightest culpable conduct. If the rule were otherwise than as here expressed, there would be no occasion for such due examination. Although the trial court on. a hearing for the revocation of probation has wide discretion, and although only slight evidence will support a judgment of revocation, some evidence is required.” Accordingly, the question is presented as to whether the evidence adduced upon the trial of the issue made by the application to revoke the probation authorized such revocation.
The appellate courts of this State do not decide if the quantum of evidence necessary to support the finding of a jury or of a judge hearing a case without the intervention of a jury has been met. “ ‘As was said by the Supreme Court in Adler v. Adler, 207 Ga. 394, 405 (61 SE2d 824), “This court does not pass upon the credibility of witnesses, nor the weight to be given evidence on *522disputed facts. These are questions for the jury. Whether their verdict is contrary to the evidence, or contrary to its weight, or decidedly and strongly against its weight, is a question the law vests in the trial judge’s discretion. He may grant a new trial on these grounds, but this court has no such power. Where the trial judge approves the verdict, the sole question for determination by this court is whether there is any evidence sufficient to authorize it.” See also Knox v. Knox, 213 Ga. 677, 679 (101 SE2d 89).’ Canal Ins. Co. v. Winge Bros., 97 Ga. App. 782, 787 (104 SE2d 525).” Halpern v. Strickland, 98 Ga. App. 890, 891 (107 SE2d 227). However, where a verdict is demanded for one party and the trior of facts finds for the other party a new trial will be granted, Wardlaw v. Frederick, 13 Ga. App. 594 (79 SE 523); Wright v. Bell, 26 Ga. App. 710 (106 SE 812), or, on proper motion, a judgment non obstante veredicto will be granted. Quaker City Life Ins. Co. v. Sutson, 102 Ga. App. 53 (115 SE2d 699); Kicklighter v. Kicklighter, 217 Ga. 54 (1) (121 SE2d 122); Hearn v. Leverette, 213 Ga. 286 (99 SE2d 147); Minor v. Fincher, 213 Ga. 365 (99 SE2d 78); Bullard v. Bullard, 214 Ga. 122 (103 SE2d 570).
Where the testimony of a party who offers himself as a witness is self-contradictory, vague or equivocal it must be construed most strongly against him, Steele v. Central of Ga. R. Co., 123 Ga. 237 (1) (51 SE 438); Shepard v. Chappell, 29 Ga. App. 6 (113 SE 23); Clifton v. Dunn, 92 Ga. App. 520, 522 (88 SE2d 710), and the appellate court, under such circumstances, will decide that a verdict is demanded against such party if that version of his testimony most unfavorable to him shows that he is not entitled to recover. An exception to such rule applies where other evidence, including other witnesses, presented by such party authorizes a finding in his behalf. Central of Ga. R. Co. v. Poole, 25 Ga. App. 58 (2) (102 SE 461).
Jurors may not act on their private knowledge, Code § 110-108, and where competent evidence is adduced upon a hearing, and is uncontradicted and such witness is otherwise unimpeached the rules of law cited in the majority opinion are not applicable, for if a jury were not bound to accept uncontradicted and unimpeached testimony, not so incredible or improbable as to be un*523worthy of belief, the appellate courts could never affirm a judgment wherein a verdict was directed, Code Ann. § 110-104, or direct that a judgment non obstante veredicto be rendered for one party even though the jury had returned a verdict for the opposite party, Code Ann. § 110-113. Code § 38-107, which deals with the preponderance of evidence, and which generally has no application to criminal cases, is only applicable where there is a conflict in the evidence adduced on the trial of the case, and Code § 38-1805 which provides that credibility of witnesses is a matter to be determined by the jury also has reference to cases where a conflict in all the evidence adduced would permit a verdict for either the plaintiff or the defendant, and neither Code section has application to a case where a judgment non obstante veredicto or a directed verdict would be proper. Accordingly the court hearing the issue presented by the petition to revoke the probation is bound by ’ the rules of evidence, Code § 38-108, supra, and cannot, as pointed out in the majority opinion revoke a probation on mere whim or caprice, Williams v. State, 162 Ga. 327, 328 (133 SE 843); Sparks v. State, 77 Ga. App. 22, 24 (47 SE2d 678), and a hearing such as the majority opinion would authorize (not controlled by the rules of evidence), would be as much a violation of due process of law as no hearing.
The majority opinion cites the case of Brunswick &c. R. Co. v. Wiggins, 113 Ga. 842 (39 SE 551, 61 LRA 513), as authority for the proposition that a jury or trior of facts, must consider all evidence, but after doing so may disbelieve it though it is uncontradicted and not discredited by other evidence or circumstances. This case and similar cases show, upon an examination of all the evidence introduced, that conflicts in the evidence authorize such testimony to be excluded by the jury in determining the preponderance of the evidence. The jury’s verdict in the case of Western &c. R. Co. v. Beason, 112 Ga. 553 (37 SE 863), was overturned because the uncontradicted evidence of the defendant demanded a verdict for it, while the plaintiff’s case was based on circumstantial evidence which was in conflict therewith, and it was there said: “Our conclusion is that the jury had no right to arbitrarily assume that the defendant’s witnesses were unworthy of credit, or for any other reason to disregard their *524testimony, which was not met by the plaintiff and which therefore demanded a verdict in favor of the [defendant] company.”
The true rule was expressed by the Supreme Court in the case of Langford v. Holton, 187 Ga. 94, 102 (200 SE 243), as follows: “Direct and positive testimony, as distinguished from testimony circumstantial, opinionative, or actually negative in character, which is given by an unimpeached witness as to the existence of a fact apparently within his own knowledge, which is not in itself incredible, impossible, or inherently improbable, and which is not contradicted directly or by proof of facts or circumstances that could be taken as incompatible with such testimony, cannot be arbitrarily rejected by a jury or other trier of the facts upon the mere surmise that it perhaps might not be in accord with the truth. In a case where the direct evidence is not all one way, or where there are proved facts and circumstances which could be taken as inconsistent with the direct positive testimony, the jury may always consider the relationship and the feeling of the witnesses toward the parties, as well as all the facts and circumstances of the case, including the witnesses’ manner of testifying, their intelligence and number. Georgia Railroad & Banking Co. v. Wall, 80 Ga. 202, 204 (7 SE 639); Central of Ga. R. Co. v. Wood, 105 Ga. 499 (30 SE 933); S. C. & Ga. R. Co. v. Powell, 108 Ga. 437 (33 SE 944); Ga. So. & Fla. R. Co. v. Sanders, 111 Ga. 128, 129 (36 SE 458); Western & Atlantic R. Co. v. Beason, 112 Ga. 553, 556 (37 SE 863); Patton v. State, 117 Ga. 230 (5) (43 SE 533); Frazier v. Ga. R. &c. Co., 108 Ga. 807 (33 SE 996); Ga. So. & Fla. R. Co. v. Thompson, 111 Ga. 731 (36 SE 945); Taggart v. Savannah Gas Co., 179 Ga. 181 (175 SE 491); Jones v. State, 48 Ga. 163, 164; Moore v. Dutson, 79 Ga. 456 (4 SE 169); Central Railroad &c. v. Maltsby, 90 Ga. 630 (16 SE 953); Armstrong v. Ballew, 118 Ga. 168 (2) (44 SE 996); Gibbs v. State, 8 Ga. App. 107, 108 (68 SE 742); Neill v. Hill, 32 Ga. App. 381 (2a) (123 SE 30); Jones v. Teasley, 25 Ga. App. 784, 788 (105 SE 46); Penn. R. Co. v. Chamberlain, 288 U. S. 333 (3), 341 (53 SC 391, 77 LE 819). Were this not the rule, in no case where relationship, feeling, or some personal interest of a witness might exist, would it ever be proper for the trial court to grant a nonsuit or direct a verdict, or for this court *525to grant a new trial on the ground that a contrary verdict was demanded. This rule is not in conflict with the ruling in cases such as Whiddon v. Hall, 155 Ga. 570 (6), 578 (118 SE 347), in which it was held: Tt can not be said, as a matter of law, that the jury is bound to accept evidence as true, although not contradicted by direct evidence. The credit of this witness was for the jury/ since the ruling went only so far as to hold that impeaching direct evidence is not necessary; and in this connection, in this and similar cases, it appeared that there were proved circumstances contradictory in character to the direct evidence, which the jury could weigh in determining the weight to be given it. The Whiddon case is further distinguishable by the additional holding therein, ‘Besides, there was some evidence’ on the point in question.” The case of Laramore v. Minish, 43 Ga. 282, wherein it is held that the interest of a party was sufficient to authorize a jury to disbelieve them was another case where the evidence adduced was conflicting and the statement as to credibility again was one based on a case where the jury had to determine whom to believe. This was also true in the recent case of Bell v. Proctor, 212 Ga. 325 (92 SE2d 514).
In cases involving the illegal possession of nontax-paid liquor where the State’s case was based on the presumption that the head of the household possessed such liquor it has been consistently held that such presumption is rebuttable and is successfully rebutted where there is uncontradicted evidence that the nontaxpaid liquor is not the defendant’s. See Smith v. State, 5 Ga. App. 834 (63 SE 928); Mikell v. State, 94 Ga. App. 627 (95 SE2d 691); Gibbs v. State, 8 Ga. App. 107 (68 SE 742). The presumption is also rebutted where the evidence shows other persons had an equal opportunity to commit the crime. Harper v. State, 85 Ga. App. 252 (69 SE2d 102).
The evidence adduced by the State raised the presumption that the liquor belonged to the defendant, but his sworn testimony (That the nontax-paid liquor was not at the house when he left and that the liquor was not his), was not contradicted and no evidence was adduced that would authorize such evidence to be impeached. Under the acts of 1962 (Ga. L. 1962, p. 133, Code Ann. § 38-415; Ga. L. 1962, p. 453, Code Ann. § 27-405), the *526right of the defendant to testify under oath cannot be disputed, and where as here his testimony is uncontradicted and where, under the record, no effort was made to impeach him in any manner provided by law, and where his testimony rebuts the presumption raised by the State’s evidence the judgment revoking his probation was not supported by any evidence, and must be reversed.
Where the law authorizes an ultimate fact to be presumed solely because an antecedent fact is proved, such presumption is rebuttable by the party against whom the presumption lies, and direct unimpeached and uncontradicted evidence which rebuts such presumption cannot be disregarded merely because the person testifying has an interest in the outcome of the case. In Georgia R. & Bkg. Co. v. Wall, 80 Ga. 202, 204 (7 SE 639), Chief Justice Bleckley, speaking for the Supreme Court in a case involving the presumption of negligence from running a railroad train said: “The law, by raising a presumption of negligence and requiring the company to rebut that presumption by showing that all ordinary and reasonable diligence was observed, means to accept such explanation as, according to the manner of conducting business, it is possible to make. It is generally out of the power of the company to show this diligence except by its employees. The law, therefore, certainly means to receive their evidence as the evidence of other witnesses is received, subject to be weighed, and if there be anything against it, discredited, but to be credited and respected if there be nothing against it. There is no other way to carry out the scheme of the law, which is, to require the railroad company to show the observance of all ordinary and reasonable diligence. To arbitrarily reject the explanation because it comes from employees is to cut off the company from defense altogether; it is to stand on the presumption and treat it as impossible to make defense. That is not the scheme of the law. In this case the defense was complete, and we think the jury found contrary to evidence and contrary to law. There is no law that entitles a jury not to recognize due proof when it is made.”
Such cases are different from those exemplified by Templeton v. Kennesaw Life &c. Ins. Co., 216 Ga. 770 (119 SE2d 549), *527where a jury is authorized from the facts proved, and on conflicting direct evidence, to decide whether the presumption is applicable.
Properly construed the evidence relied upon by the State, a rebuttable presumption, was rebutted by unimpeached and uncontradicted evidence and the trial court erred in revoking the defendant’s probation, and to hold otherwise is to nullify the provisions of the 1962 acts, supra, which permit a defendant to be sworn, for under the majority opinion his sworn testimony is worth no more than an unsworn statement which may be given only such weight as a jury decides to give it.
I am authorized to say that Felton, C. J., and Carlisle, P. J., concur in this dissent.