Court Opinion

ID: 9575707
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:16:07.99561+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:49:48.667900
License: Public Domain

MacIntyre, P. J.,
concurring specially. I concur in the result but I cannot concur in all that is said in division 1 of the opinion. I do not think that the rule with reference to the introduction of evidence of other criminal transactions necessarily applies alike to a witness and a defendant. While it is true that a witness may be impeached by showing a conviction for an act which constitutes a crime involving moral turpitude, you can not show such conviction by parol evidence. The indictment, with a verdict of guilty thereon must be introduced, and it would be error to allow in evidence an indictment upon which the defendant had been found not guilty. However, relative to the defendant, it is stated in Lee v. State, 8 Ga. App. 413, 418 (69 S. E. 310), that you may, under the circumstances there stated, even though the defendant was acquitted of the act constituting the other crime, if relevant, show that the defendant committed such criminal act, but it would be error to allow in evidence the indictment for such other crime upon which the defendant had been acquitted as a proper method of proving it. Yet, if the act which constituted the crime was relevant to the issue then on trial, it could be shown by evidence aliunde the other indictment, not withstanding there was such an indictment upon which the defendant had been acquitted. In the instant case, I think it was error to allow the introduction of the indictment with the verdict of not guilty thereon over proper objection.