Court Opinion

ID: 9565925
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:30:17.252418+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:54.547785
License: Public Domain

Carley, Judge,
concurring specially.
As recognized by the majority, our Supreme Court has held that appellate review of a denial of a motion for directed verdict of acquittal must also comport with the Jackson v. Virginia standard. Lee v. State, 247 Ga. 411, 412 (276 SE2d 590) (1981). However, even after Jackson v. Virginia, this court has continued to apply the “any evidence” test articulated in Sims v. State, 242 Ga. 256 (248 SE2d 651) (1978), when reviewing the denial of a motion for directed verdict of acquittal. A list of such cases, which is not intended to be inclusive, includes the following: Smith v. State, 155 Ga. App. 657, 658 (3) (272 SE2d 522) (1980); Baxter v. State, 160 Ga. App. 181, 184 (1) (286 SE2d 460) (1981); Gaither v. State, 160 Ga. App. 705, 706 (288 SE2d 18) (1981); James v. State, 162 Ga. App. 490 (292 SE2d 91) (1982); Walker v. State, 163 Ga. App. 638, 639 (2) (295 SE2d 574) (1982); Williams v. State, 165 Ga. App. 69 (1) (299 SE2d 402) (1983); Castillo v. State, 166 Ga. App. 817 (305 SE2d 629) (1983). But see Williams v. State, 162 Ga. App. 350, 352 (291 SE2d 425) (1982). There appears to be no reason why the standard applicable to the review of the denial of a motion for a directed verdict of acquittal should be different from that employed in the review of the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction entered on a jury verdict of guilty. A motion for a directed verdict of acquittal made before conviction raises the issue of the sufficiency of the evidence to the same extent as does a post-conviction assertion of the general grounds. See Lee v. State, supra. Sims v. State, supra, remains viable precedent for the proposition that the standard of review for both the denial of a directed verdict of acquittal and the general grounds of a judgment of conviction is the same. However, the holding in Sims v. State, supra, that the applicable standard is the “any evidence” test has been superceded by Jackson v. Virginia. Lee v. State, supra. The question of whether a di*504rected verdict of acquittal should have been granted is answered by determining “whether the evidence adduced at trial demanded a verdict of ‘not guilty.’ ” Williams v. State, 162 Ga. App. at 352, supra. “A trial court must grant a motion for directed verdict unless, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. [Cit.]” (Emphasis supplied) Lee v. State, supra, 412. Accordingly, I concur in the judgments of affirmance. However, for the purpose of clarifying the issue for the bench and bar, I would overrule all cases, including but not limited to those cited above, which employ the “any evidence” test in the review of the denial of a motion for a directed verdict of acquittal.
I am authorized to state that Judge Sognier joins in this special concurrence.