Court Opinion

ID: 9602081
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:51:42.544223+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:00.498474
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
concurring specially.
Under the new law, in felony cases in the event of conviction, the jury must return two verdicts. The first verdict is as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty. If the verdict is "guilty” then the jury must return and decide on the sentence. Code Ann. § 27-2534 (Ga. L. 1971, p. 902). The language of the statute is that "the jury shall retire to determine the punishment to be imposed. The jury shall fix a sentence within the limits prescribed by law.” If the jury cannot agree within a reasonable time, the judge may fix the sentence.
Error is enumerated because the transcript does not show there was a jury verdict as to the punishment phase of the case. The record shows only one verdict, which is as follows, to wit: "We the jury find the defendant, Robert Eugene Maddox, guilty and fix a sentence of two years. This 7 day of December, 1971. Grady B. Stone, Foreman.”
There is no contention that the judge imposed the sentence, because the jury failed to agree.
There is a plenitude of cases in Georgia holding that a verdict is not required to be in writing and signed. Southern Express Co. v. Maddox, 3 Ga. App. 223, 224 (59 SE 821); Roberts v. State, 14 Ga. 18 (1); Harris v. Barden, 24 Ga. 72; Patterson v. Murphy, 63 Ga. 281; Avera v. Tool, McGarrah & Tondee, 74 Ga. 398 (3); Sullivan v. State, 29 Ga. App. 377, 378 (115 SE 290). But not a one of these cases holds, and I can find none that holds, that a verdict of a jury need not be in writing. The above authorities simply hold that though the verdict is in writing, and unsigned, or perhaps unsigned and undated, these *92deficiencies may be added later, or overlooked. But none holds that the deficiency of not writing out the verdict may be overlooked or corrected.
The question here is whether the above verdict can be construed to represent two separate findings by the jury, to wit: guilty in the first instance, and a later finding that the sentence shall be two years.
"Verdicts shall have a reasonable intendment, and shall receive a reasonable construction, and shall not be avoided unless from necessity.” Code § 110-105.
It is more than a little difficult to construe the above verdict to be two separate findings, but in view of the last cited code section, and the explanation by the trial judge, I somewhat reluctantly concur in the judgment in this case.
But it would be a better practice hereafter to have the jury write two separate verdicts, to be signed by the foreman, in each case.