Court Opinion

ID: 9853453
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:49:04.714569+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:49.094166
License: Public Domain

FeüíTON, Justice,
dissenting in part. I think that the court erred in refusing to grant the motion of the defendant for a mistrial under the facts of the case. The district attorney made inexcusably inflammatory and prejudicial remarks. There were statements by the court to the jury not to consider such remarks. However, there was no rebuke of counsel who made the damaging remarks and under no interpretation of the judge’s statement to the jury could they be construed to be a rebuke. Several recent cases have made similar holdings and I think it is time for us to go back to the true rule and law on the subject and strictly comply with Code § 81-1009 and many older decisions which take precedence or the established law of Georgia to the effect that it at least requires a rebuke to counsel to show enough disapproval of the objectionable argument to remove the harm done by such argument. The idea that an instruction by the court removes the objectionable argument from the minds of the jurors is a myth at best. It takes a blast like a rebuke to offset the injury caused by the objectionable argument. Mitchum v. State, 11 Ga. 615; Barfield v. State, 179 Ga. 293 (175 SE 582); Ga. Power Co. v. Puckett, 181 Ga. 386 (182 SE 384); Brooks v. State, 183 Ga. 466 (188 SE 711, 108 ALR 752); Fitzgerald v. State, 184 Ga. 19 (190 SE 602); Heard v. State, 210 Ga. 108 (78 SE2d 38); Purcell v. Hill, 220 Ga. 663 (141 SE2d 152); James v. State, 223 Ga. 677 (5) (157 SE2d 471).