Court Opinion

ID: 9594970
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:34:24.165425+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:25.429524
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Presiding Judge,
concurring specially.
I agree with all that is contained in the majority opinion and write only to note that even if the merits of defendant’s argument could have been reached in Division 5, there was no error in the trial court’s refusal to give defendant’s requested charge on the law of circumstantial evidence. While the decision in Robinson v. State, 261 Ga. 698, 699 (410 SE2d 116) holds that where the State depends at least in part on circumstantial evidence a charge on the law of circumstantial evidence must be given on request, an analysis of whether there has been compliance with the Robinson decision must involve consideration of whether a defendant’s requested charge is correct, legal, apt, even perfect, and precisely adjusted to some principle involved in the case, since otherwise a refusal to give the requested charge will not be cause for a new trial. Hollis v. State, 201 Ga. App. 224, 225 (2) (411 SE2d 48); Peebles v. State, 196 Ga. App. 176, 179 (3) (395 SE2d 640). The requirements of Robinson are satisfied when the jury is given a charge employing language substantially similar to that in OCGA § 24-4-6. Burris v. State, 204 Ga. App. 806, 811 (3) (420 SE2d 582). The refused charge in the case sub judice does contain some language apparently derived from OCGA § 24-4-6. However, instead of providing a neutral statement of a correct principle of law, the refused charge is argumentative since it emphasizes the reasoning and view of the evidence advocated by defendant. There *68was no error in the trial court’s refusal to give the argumentative charge. Thompson v. State, 164 Ga. App. 194, 195 (3) (296 SE2d 771); Colson v. State, 138 Ga. App. 366, 368 (9) (226 SE2d 154).
Decided March 19, 1993.
Avis K. Hornsby, for appellant.
Lewis R. Slaton, District Attorney, J. Clayton Culp, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.