Court Opinion

ID: 9845654
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:25:52.69906+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:17.350981
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent as it is my view that improper submission to the jury of defendant’s plea of nolo contendere to a charge of trafficking in cannabis requires reversal under the binding authority of Abbott v. State, 24 Ga. App. 367 (100 SE 759). Further, I do not agree with the majority’s holding that the jury’s consideration of defendant’s nolo contendere plea was harmless error under the “highly probable that the error did not contribute to the judgment” test enunciated in Johnson v. State, 238 Ga. 59, 61 (230 SE2d 869). It is also my view that the State’s calling of Nathan Buddy Platt, Jr. as a witness, *837with full knowledge that Platt intended to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, impaired defendant’s Sixth Amendment right of confrontation in violation of the Supreme Court’s directives in Lingerfelt v. State, 235 Ga. 139 (218 SE2d 752), and Lawrence v. State, 257 Ga. 423 (360 SE2d 716). Consequently, defendant should be granted a new trial.
1. The State attempted to prove that defendant committed a crime in the State of Florida similar to the crime charged in the case sub judice by offering a judgment and sentence showing that defendant entered a nolo contendere plea in the State of Florida for the offense of trafficking in cannabis. Defense counsel objected, arguing that the nolo contendere plea is not admissible to prove a prior similar crime. The trial court properly excluded the nolo contendere plea from evidence. OCGA § 17-7-95; Corbitt v. State, 190 Ga. App. 509 (1) (379 SE2d 535). However, the nolo contendere plea was improperly included with a “State’s Exhibit” that was admitted into evidence and considered by the jury.
“Where in a criminal case a letter of such a character as to prejudice the minds of the jurors against the defendant has been excluded from the evidence, and by inadvertence is handed by the solicitor-general to the jury with the documentary evidence in the case, and remains with the jury until their verdict is returned, the presumption is that the jurors read it before arriving at their verdict, and that the defendant’s cause was prejudiced thereby. If all of the jurors testify that they did not read the letter before arriving at their verdict, the presumption is rebutted and a new trial is not required. Where, however, it is not so testified by all of the jurors, the presumption remains and a new trial becomes necessary. This is true even though all the members of the jury testify that the letter did not influence their verdict.” Abbott v. State, 24 Ga. App. 367 (3), supra.
In the case sub judice, there is no dispute that defendant’s nolo contendere plea was excluded from evidence by the trial court; that the nolo contendere plea was included with a “State’s Exhibit” which was submitted to the jury and that consideration of the nolo contendere plea by the jury unfairly placed defendant’s character in issue. OCGA § 17-7-95; Corbitt v. State, 190 Ga. App. 509 (1), supra. Further, there is no proof that jurors did not examine the nolo contendere plea before reaching a verdict. Consequently, the presumption of harm remains and a new trial is required under the standard set in Abbott v. State, 24 Ga. App. 367 (3), supra. Compare City of East Point v. Christian, 41 Ga. App. 536 (2) (153 SE 784), and Morris v. Ga. Power Co., 133 Ga. App. 911 (1) (213 SE2d 66). Nonetheless, the majority holds that admission of the nolo contendere plea is harmless.
In Johnson v. State, supra, the Supreme Court considered *838whether injection of prejudicial matters not in evidence constituted harmful error and adopted what “is known as the ‘highly probable test,’ i.e., that it is ‘highly probable that the error did not contribute to the judgment.’ Traynor, What Makes Error Harmless, The Riddle of Harmless Error (1970).” Johnson v. State, 238 Ga. 59, 61, supra. In applying this test, the Supreme Court considered the degree of evidence presented at trial and the magnitude of harm resulting from admission of evidence outside the record and determined that it was not possible to say “that it is highly probable that the error did not contribute to the jury’s verdict.” Johnson v. State, 238 Ga. 59, 61, supra.
In the case sub judice, the majority concedes that consideration of the Florida nolo contendere plea by the jury improperly placed defendant’s character in issue but they fail to compare any harm resulting from this error to the degree of evidence presented at trial. Instead, the majority holds that admission of other similar transaction evidence renders the improperly injected evidence harmless. I cannot adopt this standard as it is my view that the “highly probable test” requires an exercise of discretion in considering the magnitude of harm to the degree of evidence presented at trial.1 It is from this perspective that I view consideration of defendant’s nolo contendere plea by the jury as reversible error. OCGA § 17-7-95; Corbitt v. State, 190 Ga. App. 509 (1), supra.
In the case sub judice, defendant’s conviction was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. Specifically, there is no direct evidence linking defendant to a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into Dodge County, Georgia; there is no direct evidence placing defendant in the aircraft that was allegedly used to smuggle cocaine into Dodge County, Georgia, and there is nothing linking defendant to the contraband that was ejected from the abandoned Cessna aircraft. In fact, my examination of the record reveals that the State’s case was based largely on similar transaction evidence, much of which was substantiated by inadmissible hearsay. Under these circumstances, I cannot say “that it is highly probable that the error did not contribute to the jury’s verdict.” Johnson v. State, 238 Ga. 59, 61, supra.
*8392. In his fifth enumeration, defendant contends the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for mistrial after “the invocation of Fifth Amendment privilege in the presence of the jury by an alleged co-conspirator.” Defendant argues that the procedure employed by the State’s attorney in questioning the witness implicated him in criminal activity in Florida and that he was unable to challenge this testimony on cross-examination because the witness invoked the Fifth Amendment.
The State called Nathan Buddy Platt, Jr. with full knowledge that the witness intended to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent with regard to a statement given to Florida law enforcement officers. Mr. Platt testified, in pertinent part, as follows: “[State’s Attorney]. Do you know [defendant] Alan Parrott? A. To a degree. Q. Okay, How long have you known him? A. Four, maybe five, years. Q. Okay. And, do you know anybody known to you as ‘Breé’? A. I’ve heard of him. Q. All right. Is that [co-defendant] Roosevelt Bray? A. It’s a possibility. Q. Well, is it or isn’t it? A. Yes. Q. Okay. And, you’ve seen ‘Bree’ up here in the last two days you’ve been up here, what yesterday and today? A. Outside the courtroom. Q. Yes, sir. You know [defendant Parrott’s attorney] Mr. McLarty here? A. Yes. Q. All right. You ate lunch with him yesterday, I believe, didn’t you? A. Yes. . . . Q. Okay. Do you reside ... in Glades County, Florida? A. Yes, sir. . . . Q. And have you ever seen [defendant] Parrott in Glades County, Florida? A. Yes. Q. Okay. And [co-defendant] Roosevelt Bray, known as ‘Bree,’ have you ever seen him in Glades County, Florida? A. Yes. Q. And all of this would have been how long ago, roughly, that you saw these people in Glades County, Florida? A. Four years, maybe more or less. I don’t remember. Q. Would it have been around 1985, ‘86? A. It could have, yes. Q. All right. Was it or was it not? A. Yes. Q. Have you ever talked with [defendant] Parrott? A. About what? Q. Well, about anything? A. Yes. We’ve been fishing together on Lake Okeechobee. Q. Okay. Is that the only thing you’ve done with Mr. Parrott? A. I don’t really know how to answer you. Q. Do you know — Let me put it this way. Other things, have you ever been around Mr. Parrott when Mr. Herman Bray and [co-defendant] Roosevelt Bray were also there? A. Yes. Q. Okay. And how about an individual by the name of — a Cuban by the name of Lazaro Fernandez? A. I wouldn’t know him if he was in here. Q. You never dealt with Mr. Fernandez? A. No. Q. Okay. You have dealt with Mr. Parrott? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Do you know where an Indian reservation is in Glades County, Florida? A. Yes, I live about six, maybe seven miles from it. Q. Okay. And, is there — Is one of your brothers or was one of your brothers a caretaker of sort of a ranch right next to the Indian reservation? A. Yes. Q. All right. Which brother was that? A. Richard. Q. Okay. And was he in that capacity back around 1985, ‘86? A. Yes. *840Q. And, have you see[n] Mr. Parrott and ‘Bree’ and Herman Bray and all them on that property? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Do you recall — Do you know Mr. Tommy Herne? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Who is Mr. Herne? A. Back then he was a chief investigator for the Glades County Sheriffs Department. Q. Okay. And what was your capacity? Were you employed back then? A. Yes. Q. All right. What were you? A. I was a deputy sheriff’s correctional officer in Okeechobee County in 1986. Q. All right. So, you were a law enforcement officer at this time? A. Yes. Q. Okay. And do you know Mr. John King of the Florida Division of Law Enforcement? A. Yes. Q. When did you first meet Mr. King? A. In ‘86, maybe ‘87. I don’t remember for sure. Q. Okay. And, was that about the time that your employment terminated with the sheriff’s department down there? A. Yes, sir. Q. Okay. Do you know Gus ‘Pops’ Ross? A. No. Q. You don’t know him? How about ‘Beeboo’ Wambole? A. No. Q. Okay. Just [defendant] Parrott, [co-defendant] ‘Bree’ and Herman? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Have you ever known or seen a Colombian by the name of Carlos? A. No. Q. Okay. You’ve never seen anybody by that name? A. No, sir. Q. But you knew his name? A. I knew his name, but I never seen him. Q. You’ve heard the name Carlos? A. Yes. Q. Where did you hear that name? A. In the conversations. Q. With [defendant] Parrott? A. Yeah. Q. Okay. Was this about the same time ya’ll were in or about this property that your brother was the overseer? A. Yes. Q. Okay. In the latter part of 1986 did you give a statement to Mr. Tommy Herne, who was the Chief Deputy for what, Glades County? A. Glades County. Q. All right. Now, you knew Mr. Herne for a long time, right? A. Yes. Q. And, I assume — How long had you known Mr. King? A. I just met him in ‘86. Q. Okay. All right. Did you give a statement to them about your involvement with [defendant] Parrott and the — Herman [Bray] and [co-defendant] Roosevelt Bray? A. Yes. Q. And, did you — What was the content of that statement, please sir? A. I’m sorry. On the advice of counsel I decline to answer on the grounds that it may tend to incriminate me and I assert my freedom from self-incrimination as protected by the Constitution of the U.S.A., the State of Florida and the State of Georgia. . . .
“[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Your Honor, I’d like the jury excused. I’d like to make a motion. THE COURT: Let’s let this develop just a little bit more. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Okay. [STATE’S ATTORNEY]: Did you come up here voluntarily, Mr. Platt? A. No. Q. Were you ordered to come to court? A. Yes. Q. And you hired an attorney to — A. To try to stop it. Q. — keep you from coming up here? For what reason do you feel that this statement might incriminate you that you have given? [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Objection, Your Honor.” The trial court then excused the jury, conducted a hearing to determine the basis of Mr. Platt’s decision to remain silent and in*841formed the State’s attorney that the witness appears to have cause for invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The State’s attorney responded: “We won’t pursue the matter, Your Honor. . . . We’ve gotten the information we need from this witness.” Defense counsel then moved for a mistrial, arguing that “where the State knows that an individual [is going to] invoke his Fifth Amendment rights in the presence of the jury that it is prejudicial to bring that witness before the jury without having a hearing outside the presence of the jury. . . .” The trial court recognized that “the problems you get into when the privilege is asserted is a limitation that places on the opposite side of a full and thorough cross examination [,]” but found that the State’s attorney did not act in “bad faith” and denied defendant’s motion for mistrial.
The jury was recalled and defense counsel cross-examined Mr. Platt as to the substance of the statement he gave to the Florida law enforcement officers. The trial court then admonished the witness that if he answered any questions regarding the statement that it would constitute a waiver of his right against self-incrimination. Mr. Platt decided not to waive his Fifth Amendment right and did not answer defense counsel’s questions concerning the statement. He only affirmed that the statement he gave the Florida law enforcement officers was not true.
In Lingerfelt v. State, 235 Ga. 139, supra, and Lawrence v. State, 257 Ga. 423, supra, “the trial court permitted the State to call a witness who had notified the court and counsel that he would not answer any question and ask leading questions, predicated on the witness’ prior statements, which suggested the defendant’s guilt of the crimes charged. Under the circumstances of those cases, the procedure whereby the prosecutor was allowed, in effect, to testify for the witness and circumvent meaningful cross-examination as to obvious inferences was soundly condemned. See Lawrence at p. 425 (fn. 3).” Greenwood v. State, 203 Ga. App. 901 (1), 902 (418 SE2d 160).
In the case sub judice, it is obvious that the State’s questioning of Mr. Platt (with full knowledge that the witness intended to invoke the Fifth Amendment) created an unfavorable inference that defendant was involved with Mr. Platt and others in criminal activities in Florida and that the harmful inference went virtually unchallenged because the witness invoked the Fifth Amendment. It is my view that this procedure is essentially the same as the procedures condemned in Lingerfelt and Lawrence and that the trial court therefore erred in denying defendant’s motion for mistrial, i.e., defendant was denied fair access to a witness on cross-examination for purposes of challenging unfavorable inferences projected by the State on direct examination. Greenwood v. State, 203 Ga. App. 901 (1), supra.
*842Decided December 4, 1992 —
Reconsideration denied December 17, 1992
Hackel & Hackel, Thomas M. Hackel, Harrison, Harrison & Llop, Steven M. Harrison, for appellant.
James L. Wiggins, District Attorney, Russell P. Spivey, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.

 “ ‘The highly probable test avoids the evils of inadequate or excessive stringency by making affirmance conditional on high probability that error did not affect the judgment. The test compels a judge to go beyond a first glance for affirmance or a fleeting glimpse for reversal. It compels him to exercise his mind in the exercise of his discretion, to go beyond the appearances of the result to an examination of what causal links there may be between error and the judgment. It keeps judicial discretion within the ample bounds of reason. It can greatly improve the net worth of the judicial process as it thus holds down excesses either of affirmance that recklessly dampens assurance of a fair day in court or of reversal that needlessly calls for still another fair day at the expense of litigants who are still awaiting their first day in court.’ Id. at pp. 50-51.” Johnson v. State, 238 Ga. 59, 61, supra.