Court Opinion

ID: 9848218
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:14:47.351824+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:08.077055
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
concurring specially. In Division 3 of the majority *218opinion it is held that Count 1 of the indictment (possession of illegal drugs) is merged with Count 2 (offering illegal drugs for sale). In other words, it is held in effect that defendant could not have offered the drugs for sale unless he possessed same. In the case of Ansley v. State, and Petree v. State, 124 Ga. App. 670 (185 SE2d 562), I wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion (pp. 677-687), in which I undertook to convince my eight associates on this court that there was a merger of offenses in that case, but without success. Count 1 charged defendants unlawfully solicited a bribe to use his influence and obtain his vote to secure passing of a certain zoning resolution; which Count 2 charged defendants unlawfully solicited a bribe to attempt to procure passage of legislation before the Board of Aldermen as to the same zoning resolution.
Of course, there was no difference whatever between the two counts, as "using his influence and obtaining his vote” was exactly the same thing as "attempt to procure passage of legislation.”
And while I could not secure the agreement of any of my brethren as to merger in the Ansley and Petree case, supra, I agree with the majority opinion in this case that Count 1 of the indictment (as to possession of illegal drugs) merges with Count 2 (as to offering illegal drugs for sale).
Deen, Judge, dissenting. The majority opinion holds that the lesser crime of illegal possession of cocaine merges with the greater crime of selling. This is contrary to Jackson v. State, 230 Ga. 640 (198 SE2d 666) which held that the lesser crime of illegal possession of a pistol is a separate crime from armed robbery with the presence or possession of the same pistol, and is likewise opposite to Smith v. Ault, 230 Ga. 433 (1) (197 SE2d 348). "The offenses of burglary and possessing burglary tools are separate and distinct, and an accused may be convicted of both offenses, even though they are committed in the same transaction.”
The majority is diametrically different from Gee v. State, 225 Ga. 669 (5) (171 SE2d 291): "The possession of drugs... and the selling of the same drugs, are in law separate and distinct crimes and each is punishable.” There is no merger of the lesser crime of possession in the latter three Supreme Court cases.
This court has attempted to distinguish Gee, supra, on the ground that it was decided prior to the effective date of the 1968 Georgia Criminal Code. Jackson and Smith, supra, along with Roberts v. State, 228 Ga. 298, 299 (185 SE2d 385) were all decided subsequent to the effective date of the present criminal code, the latter case *219citing Gee, supra, with approval. Compare and see: Thomas v. State, 128 Ga. App. 32 (195 SE2d 681); Sullivan v. State, 129 Ga. App. 231 (199 SE2d 373); Reeves v. State, 128 Ga. App. 750 (197 SE2d 843); Burns v. State, 127 Ga. App. 828 (195 SE2d 189); Sturgis v. State, 128 Ga. App. 85 (195 SE2d 682). I must respectfully dissent, as those convicted of lesser crimes of illegal possession of narcotics must be fed out of the same spoon of punishment as those convicted of the lesser crimes of illegal possession of weapons and burglary tools. The merger statute applies equally to all crimes.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judges Hall and Eberhardt and Judge Pannell concur in this dissent.