Court Opinion

ID: 9848874
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:29:04.44683+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:51.143485
License: Public Domain

Barnes, Judge,
concurring specially.
Although I have some appreciation for Tanner’s argument on similar transaction evidence (see my dissent in Roberts v. State, 241 Ga. App. 259, 263 (526 SE2d 597) (1999)), in Roberts, the majority held that similar transaction evidence may be admitted if the defend*644ant denies commission of the subject crime because an earlier conviction of a somewhat similar crime “would be most helpful to the jury, and therefore the State’s need would have outweighed the prejudice to the defendant.” Id. at 262. Therefore, as long as a defendant denies commission of the subject crime, evidence of a similar transaction is admissible if it would be helpful to the State regardless of whether the similar transaction evidence is connected logically to an actual issue in the subject case. Based upon this binding, whole court precedent, I am constrained to concur fully in the majority opinion.
Decided April 17, 2000.
Sharon L. Hopkins, for appellant.
Daniel J. Porter, District Attorney, Rodney K. Miles, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.