Court Opinion

ID: 9606233
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:48:10.929532+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:50.806474
License: Public Domain

Sognier, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The majority holds that the evidence in this case is indicative of robbery by intimidation, and does not suggest theft by taking. This overlooks the fact that appellant’s sole defense was that he committed theft by taking, not armed robbery. Further, I find no evidence of intimidation in the record. The victim did not testify that she was frightened or intimidated by appellant; on the contrary, she recognized appellant, who had come in the store on previous occasions and taken items without paying for them. On those occasions, appellant’s grandmother or mother would pay for the items.
Our Supreme Court has held that OCGA § 16-8-41 (a), which defines the offense of armed robbery, “clearly contemplates that the offensive weapon be used as a concomitant to a taking which involves the use of actual force or intimidation (constructive force) against another person.” (Emphasis supplied.) Hicks v. State, 232 Ga. 393, 403 (207 SE2d 30) (1974); Young v. State, 251 Ga. 153, 157 (303 SE2d 431) (1983). Since appellant was tried for a violation of § 16-8-41 (a), robbery by actual force or intimidation would involve use of the *322weapon. Id. Therefore, appellant’s testimony that he did not use a weapon could only raise the issue of theft by taking.
Decided December 2, 1987
Rehearing denied December 16, 1987
John W. Lawson, Stephen P. Fuller, for appellant.
Robert E. Wilson, District Attorney, Nelly F. Withers, Barbara Conroy, Assistant District Attorneys, for appellee.
As stated by this court in another case, “[w]hile we, like the trial court or jury, might find [appellant’s testimony] incredible, issues of credibility are for the factfinder, the jury, not for the court as a matter of law. The failure to give the requested charges which in reality formed the basis of [appellant’s] sole defense, effectively removed this issue from the jury’s determination. ‘An instruction which, while stating the nature of the charge or of the evidence against the accused, omits to charge the jury as to the defense set up by him is error, unless the defense upon which the accused relies is properly submitted to the jury in other parts of the charge .... Where there is only one defense on which a party relies, failure to instruct the jury as to the evidence supporting this defense, so specifically that the jury will . . . do so intelligently, under pertinent rules of law and evidence, practically withdraws that defense, and to that extent prejudices the defendant’s right to a fair and impartial trial.’ [Cit.]” Anglin v. State, 182 Ga. App. 635, 637 (2) (356 SE2d 564) (1987).
Since appellant’s sole defense was that he committed the offense of theft by taking, not robbery, the trial court’s failure to give his requested charge on the lesser offense effectively withdrew appellant’s defense and deprived him of his right to a fair and impartial trial. Id. Accordingly, I would reverse appellant’s conviction and remand the case for a new trial.