Court Opinion

ID: 9846488
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:42:15.359794+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:35.238322
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
dissenting.
I would affirm the trial court’s order granting Medders’ motion to suppress.
*683This court has held many times that "any evidence” will support a trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress. For reasons set forth in my dissenting opinion in Jones v. State, 146 Ga. App. 88 (245 SE2d 449) (1978), I believe the "clearly erroneous” test is the proper standard of review. However, even assuming that the "any evidence” rule provides an appropriate standard of review in the case of a denial of a motion to suppress, it is inconceivable that a different standard applies where the grant of a motion to suppress is before this court. Yet, in my view, this is the import of the majority opinion. Under the facts and circumstances of this case, the trial court was not "clearly erroneous” in granting appellee’s motion to suppress. Necessarily, there was "some evidence” in support of the trial court’s determination.
It is well established that, on a motion to suppress, the trial judge, as a finder of fact, is authorized to resolve any conflicts in the testimony, evaluate the demeanor of the witnesses, and take into consideration the totality of the circumstances surrounding the search and seizure in arriving at his finding. Hatcher v. State, 141 Ga. App. 756 (234 SE2d 388) (1977); Brooks v. State, 129 Ga. App. 393 (199 SE2d 578) (1973); Kelly v. State, 129 Ga. App. 131 (198 SE2d 910) (1973). In contrast, the appellate courts must make their determination on the basis of the record.
The record in this case supports the trial court’s determination that appellant was arrested on a mere "hunch.” The arresting officer "waffled” in his testimony. At one point, he said he smelled marijuana. At another, he stated he smelled what he thought was marijuana. Finally, he stated he did not know that the substance seized from appellant was marijuana until he received the crime lab report.
After hearing the evidence and evaluating the witnesses, the trial court rejected the state’s "downwind” theory of probable cause. See State v. Smith, 137 Ga. App. 101 (223 SE2d 30) (1975). "In the absence of evidence of record demanding a finding contrary to the judge’s determination, this court will not reverse the ruling sustaining a motion to suppress.” State v. Smith, 134 Ga. App. 602 (215 SE2d 345) (1975). The evidence of record in the case at bar does not demand a finding contrary to the *684trial court’s determination. "Not being clearly erroneous, the trial court’s fact and creditability determinations on this motion must be accepted.” Strickland v. State, 153 Ga. App. 51 (1980).