Court Opinion

ID: 9566296
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:36:19.5141+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:35:40.474451
License: Public Domain

Pope, Judge,
concurring specially.
I write separately in response to the dicta contained in footnote 1 of the opinion. Although it is true that a “verdict” is not rendered in a bench trial, I know of no legal impediment to prevent a lower court sitting without a jury in a criminal case from granting a motion that judgment of acquittal be entered in defendant’s favor. In fact, a cursory review of cases rendered by this court reveals that lower courts when sitting as the trier of fact regularly entertain, and this court regularly reviews on appeal, motions for directed verdicts or judgments in criminal cases. See, e.g., Sanders v. State, 182 Ga. App. 581 (356 SE2d 537) (1987); Waters v. State, 177 Ga. App. 374 (339 SE2d 608) (1985); Moran v. State, 170 Ga. App. 837 (318 SE2d 716) (1984). In my opinion the problem is one of semantics or what to call such a motion in these type cases. Regardless of the nomenclature, I would not want to discourage the bench and bar from engaging in the practice of expeditiously disposing of those cases in which the State fails to meet its burden of proof.