Court Opinion

ID: 9855144
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:20:08.923307+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:42.028497
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Presiding Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur fully in Divisions 2 and 3 and, with respect to Division 1, I agree that no reversible error occurred. However, we need not reach the difficult question of whether allowing the defendant to remain shackled under the total circumstances was legal error in the first place, since the conclusion is that it was harmless. For the purposes of this case, we can simply assume arguendo that it was error. Nevertheless, the majority decides the question and arrives at an answer with which I cannot agree.
The record is sparse with respect to the environment, facilities, and circumstances, but it does show that the defendant was under a life sentence for a violent crime, he was present with two similarly sentenced co-defendants, the courtroom was small, the judge was concerned about security and was fearful that the four officers could not handle the three if they decided to make trouble, and the judge arranged that the leg shackles would remain as unobtrusive as possible, keeping defendants seated while the jury was present. The majority’s recognition of the court’s precautionary measures to replace any impact of the leg irons on the jury comes close to saying that the court’s handling of the matter was not an abuse of discretion.
It was the responsibility of the court to assure the safety of everyone in the courtroom, as well as to prevent an escape which would endanger the general public. An increased number of armed guards as an alternative has been recognized by this court as more visible to the jury, and thus possibly more prejudicial, than leg irons. See Collins v. State, 164 Ga. App. 482, 484-485 (4) (297 SE2d 503) (1982). The court did not abuse its discretion.
I am authorized to state that Judge Smith joins in this special *789concurrence.
Decided November 5, 1993.
Peter D. Johnson, for appellant.
Daniel J. Craig, District Attorney, Charles R. Sheppard, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.