Court Opinion

ID: 9585634
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:02:25.110215+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:21:45.808551
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
dissenting.
In his enumeration of error number six, appellant contends the trial court erroneously denied his Code § 110-709 motion attacking the judgment. I agree and therefore dissent.
The crime named in the indictment against appellant was theft by conversion. The indictment specifically alleged that the conversion was committed when, on July 22,1976, appellant "did unlawfully obtain $50,000.00, property of Mrs. Sarah Lois R. Horton, under an agreement to make a specified application of said property, to-wit: as earnest money deposit on land. After receiving said money, Alex Mahomet knowingly converted said property to his own use in violation of such agreement, contrary to the laws of [Georgia], the good order, peace and dignity thereof.” (Emphasis supplied.) The jury convicted appellant of the crime of theft by conversion, an essential element of which is that appellant’s initial obtaining of the stolen property have *468been lawful. Code § 26-1808; Partain v. State, 129 Ga. App. 213 (199 SE2d 549) (1974).
Citing Code §110-709, appellant made a motion attacking the judgment entered upon the jury verdict. That Code section provides: "The judgment of a court having no jurisdiction of the person or subject-matter, or void for any other cause, is a mere nullity, and may be so held in any court when it becomes material to the interest of the parties to consider it.” According to Judge Richard B. Russell, "One of the tests which can be applied to determine whether a judgment is void is whether it can be set aside by motion in arrest of judgment. If the judgment can be arrested by motion it is always void.” Chapman v. Taliaferro, 1 Ga. App. 235, 238 (58 SE 128) (1907). " 'Where a verdict in a criminal case finds the accused guilty of a crime not made in the indictment a motion in arrest of judgment will lie. ’ ” Cash v. State, 108 Ga. App. 656, 657 (134 SE2d 524)(1963). Ponder v. State, 121 Ga. App. 788 (175 SE2d 55) (1970).
In summary, a criminal judgment is void when it has been entered upon a verdict finding a defendant guilty of a crime not charged. It is well settled that the name which the indictment gives the crime is immaterial; rather, the acts alleged in the indictment are what characterize the offense. State v. Eubanks, 239 Ga. 483, 484 (238 SE2d 38) (1977). Having alleged that appellant unlawfully obtained the stolen property, the indictment here did not charge appellant with theft by conversion, and a valid judgment could not have been entered upon a verdict finding him guilty of such a crime.