Court Opinion

ID: 9854107
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:01:02.029118+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:55.928797
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting.
The trial judge erred in unduly restricting counsel for defendant in his examination of the jurors on the voir dire examination. One question was as to whether the juror thought that one would be justified in aiding a family member who was attacked. The trial judge excluded the question on the ground that it required the juror to prejudge the case.
In Harris v. State, 120 Ga. App. 359 (2) (170 SE2d 743), it was held proper to ask the juror on voir dire "whether he believed 'that a person had the right for peaceful enjoyment of his property without the intervention from the outside of other persons’.” Such question is so similar to the question in the case at bar as to be on "all-fours” with it.
The majority opinion cites Pinion v. State, 225 Ga. 36 (4) (165 SE2d 708), which in turn cites Evans v. State, 222 Ga. 392, 401 (150 SE2d 240), but in each of these cases the juror was asked if he "at the moment believe[d] the defendant innocent?” Of course such questions were improper, but they are in no way related to the question asked in the case at bar. The majority also cites Gunnin v. State, 112 Ga. App. 720 (2) (146 SE2d 131), but the questions that were asked are not set forth in the decision, so we do not know what they were. It is not shown that they were similar or kindred to the question in the case at bar.
Code Ann. § 59-705 allows counsel on the voir dire *647examination to ask . .any fact or circumstance indicating any inclination, leaning or bias which the juror might have respecting the subject-matter of the suit. . .”
This language is certainly broad enough to permit counsel to ask the juror as to his "inclination, leaning or bias” as to the subject-matter of this suit, which in this case involved the defense of a family member.
Code § 26-902 (a) gives to a person the right not only to defend himself, but the right to defend a third person. A fortiori if that "third person” be a member of his own family.
For the foregoing reason I dissent from the opinion and judgment of affirmance as I would vote to reverse and grant a new trial.