Court Opinion

ID: 9602155
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:52:13.424209+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:01.192403
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting.
I concur in the dissent by Judge Deen, and add the following: The defendant, John Henry Whigham, sworn as a witness in his own behalf, testified: "but he almost knocked me down so I stepped in there and tried to break them up and the gun went off. ” There was no testimony from this witness from which it could be concluded that the pistol was drawn, or held in defendant’s hand. Where there is sworn evidence from which a jury could conclude that the shooting is the result of an accident, a charge on "accident” is demanded, even without a request therefor. See Code Ann. § 26-602; Coleman v. State, 208 Ga. 511 (1) (67 SE2d 578). There are many cases in both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals which hold that where defense of accident is raised only by defendant’s unsworn statement, no charge on accident is required without a written request therefor. But here, the defendant delivered sworn testimony raising the defense of accident.