Court Opinion

ID: 9586177
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:08:03.237048+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:56.343980
License: Public Domain

*199Fletcher, Presiding Justice,
concurring specially.
1. The majority’s conclusion in division 8 that the trial court properly excluded testimony by a defense witness ignores the plain language of OCGA § 17-16-6. The legislature provided specific remedies for the failure to comply with the discovery act, OCGA § 17-16-1 et seq. When a defendant fails to identify a witness as required by OCGA § 17-16-8, OCGA § 17-16-6 authorizes the trial court to grant a continuance or permit the state to interview the witness. The wholesale exclusion of evidence, however, requires “a showing of prejudice and bad faith.”3 The state did not argue that it would be prejudiced or that the defendant acted in bad faith and the trial court made no such finding. The record reflects that Laney gave the state one day’s notice before calling the witness and made the witness available for an interview by the state. Therefore, the trial court exceeded its authority under OCGA § 17-16-6 in excluding the witness’s testimony.
2. Furthermore, I cannot join the majority’s approval in division 9 of the state’s use of a bag of sugar in closing argument. The state’s firearms expert testified that she used a spring gauge to measure the force required to pull the trigger. The state presented no evidence that lifting a bag of sugar was scientifically equivalent to the spring gauge test performed on the gun. During final argument, however, the prosecutor displayed a five-pound bag of sugar and argued that lifting the bag with one finger was equivalent to the 7.5 pounds of pressure required to fire the gun. Later the prosecutor also argued, “how could he not intentionally pull the trigger, because you can’t even lift a five-pound bag of sugar with your finger.” In the absence of supporting evidence, the state’s display and argument was improper.4
Nevertheless, it is highly probable that these errors did not contribute to the verdict and I concur in the affirmance of the conviction.
I am authorized to state that Justice Hines joins in division 2 of this special concurrence.

 OCGA § 17-16-6.

 Williams v. State, 254 Ga. 508, 511 (330 SE2d 353) (1985).