Court Opinion

ID: 9591622
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:06:04.580556+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:03:38.955775
License: Public Domain

Smith, Justice,
dissenting.
The constitutional and statutory law of this state require that all criminal cases be tried in the county where the crime was committed. Art. 6, Sec. 2, Par. 6, Ga. Const, of 1983, OCGA § 17-2-2 (Code Ann. § 26-302). I would reverse the appellant’s conviction on the ground that the state did not prove that the crime with which he was charged was committed in the county where he was tried.
Venue is a jurisdictional fact that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, Toland v. State, 115 Ga. App. 786 (156 SE2d 215) (1967), and where there is insufficient evidence of venue the verdict rendered is contrary to law and without evidence to support it. Parks v. State, 212 Ga. 433 (93 SE2d 663) (1956). Proof of residence in a city which lies in more than one county is insufficient to prove venue in either county, Harmon v. Harmon, 209 Ga. 474 (74 SE2d 75) (1953), and judicial notice will not be taken that a particular address or building in a city, without more, is in one county or another. Taylor v. Malden Trust Co., 125 Ga. App. 262 (1) (187 SE2d 307) (1972).
The evidence submitted here that the victim attended Fulton County schools and that part of College Park lies in Fulton County does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the home of the defendant and his victim is in Fulton instead of Clayton County. I *99agree that only slight proof of venue is necessary where venue is not contested at trial. Nonetheless, this slight proof must also be established beyond a reasonable doubt and the actions of the defendant in not contesting venue do not relieve the state of its burden of proof or add any burden to the defendant. Carter v. State, 146 Ga. App. 681 (247 SE2d 191) (1978). Therefore, I dissent from the majority opinion and would reverse and remand for a new trial.
I am authorized to state that Chief Justice Hill and Justice Bell join in this dissent.