Court Opinion

ID: 9846509
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:42:40.574307+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:35.766042
License: Public Domain

*665Banke, Judge,
dissenting.
I must register my resolute dissent to the judgment of reversal in this case and object emphatically to the desire of the majority to create a new and additional judicial mandate where none is required or authorized.
Except in death penalty cases, neither the State and Federal Constitutions, nor the existing statutes of Georgia, nor the existing appellate case law require recording of the complete voir dire in felony cases. _
_ The majority seems to rely on Aiken v. State, 226 Ga. 840 (178 SE2d 202) (1970), for reasoning by implication that recording of voir dire is required. Such reasoning is so strained as to become plastic. If the Supreme Court had desired to impose the additional requirement of recording all voir dire, this would have been an excellent case in which to announce such mandate. Further, the Supreme Court in Ross v. State, 233 Ga. 361, 367 (211 SE2d 356) (1974) ; Owens v. State, 233 Ga. 869, 871 (214 SE2d 173) (1975) ; and Welch v. State, 237 Ga. 665 (229 SE2d 390) (1976) , addressed this question; and to date it is clear that such recordation is required only in death cases. If this were not so, that court would have said so.
It should also be noted that Code Ann. § 6-805 (d) states,.. Where matters occur which were not reported, such as objections to oral argument, misconduct of the jury, or other like instances, the court, upon motion of either party, shall require that a transcript of these matters be made and included as a part of the record...” Since the appellant in this case failed to so move, he waived this right and cannot now assert it on appeal.
In making an objection during voir dire, the complaining attorney, if he desires to pursue it, should immediately ask that his objection be recorded. After argument of counsel on the objection, the ruling of the trial judge should be taken by the court reporter. Also, the trial judge on his own motion under Code Ann. § 6-805 (d) may require that the court reporter remain in the courtroom during voir dire and take down each objection and ruling thereon. This procedure was followed by the trial judge and approved by this court in Watts v. State, 141 Ga. App. 127 (232 SE2d 590) (1977). This procedure amply protects all parties on appeal and is all that is *666required by existing authority. If the complete voir dire were recorded as required by the majority opinion, the record on appeal could, in some cases, contain thousands of pages of absolutely worthless dialogue, since this court only considers those objections which are enumerated as error. We have had some cases where it took two weeks to select a jury and an hour to try the case. We should not make it more difficult, costly, and time-consuming to prepare the record for an appeal than is reasonably necessary. It will cost the counties literally millions of dollars to implement the majority opinion.
I cannot agree with the majority in its interpretation of Code Ann. §§ 6-805 and 27-2401 that the word "proceedings” as used therein refers to voir dire. It refers instead to proceedings of the case or proceedings of the trial; and, of course, the trial does not start nor jeopardy attach until after issue is joined and the jury impanelled. If the General Assembly intended that all voir dire be recorded, why did it not say so? Nor can I agree with that part of the majority opinion that holds that it is the duty of the state to perfect the record for the defendant on appeal. Code Ann. § 6-805 (d) places this responsibility on the complaining party, and I see no reason to change the law.
I respectfully dissent to both the judgment of reversal in this case and the new and additional requirement that voir dire be recorded in all felony cases.
I am authorized to state that Chief Judge Deen and Presiding Judge McMurray join in this dissent.