Court Opinion

ID: 9848277
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:15:48.664248+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:10.856794
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting. Defendant complains because the trial judge failed to charge the jury on involuntary manslaughter. If the evidence authorized same, the court was required to charge thereon whether a request to charge was submitted or not. Hobbs v. State, 206 Ga. 94 (2) (55 SE2d 610). The judge did not charge on involuntary manslaughter in his original charge. The jury deliberated for a while, and then returned to the courtroom and requested the trial judge to charge them as to the definition of involuntary manslaughter (Tr. 325). He refused to do so. Involuntary manslaughter is defined as follows: Code Ann. § 26-1103 (a) (Ga. L. 1968, pp. 1249, 1276) — "A person commits involuntary manslaughter in the commission of an unlawful act when he causes the death of another human being without any intention to do so, by the commission of an unlawful act other than a felony.”
Was there evidence from which the jury could have found defendant was guilty of involuntary manslaughter? There was testimony the former husband of deceased committed criminal trespass, in that he kicked in the door to her apartment and entered without her permission. Although there was some evidence that he was invited into the apartment, there was also evidence that he was not invited. There was testimony showing that during this time while he was a trespasser, the former husband wrestled with his former wife over the gun, and that while so wrestling, and without any intention on his part, the gun was discharged and killed his former wife. Thus, the testimony was sufficient to show that during the commission of an unlawful act (trespass), which was less than a felony, the former wife was killed without intention *49to do so. This clearly fits the definition of involuntary manslaughter, and the trial judge was required to charge thereon. His failure to do so was error, and this case should be reversed. I am authorized to state that Judge Deen joins in this dissent.