Court Opinion

ID: 9579713
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:57:52.193527+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:35:43.157508
License: Public Domain

Head, Presiding Justice,
dissenting. I dissent from the ruling in Division 5 of the opinion and from the judgment of affirmance. As shown by the record, the court charged the jury that: “You will look to the testimony, sworn testimony in this case to determine the truth or nontruth of the allegations as set forth.” This was an undue limitation since under this charge the documentary evidence would be excluded from consideration by the jury. See Fowler v. State, 187 Ga. 406 (1 SE2d 18); Buttersworth v. State, 200 Ga. 13 (36 SE2d 301). Subsequently the court charged the other principle quoted and set forth in Division 5 of the opinion. It must be noted that the trial court did not in this part of his charge (nor elsewhere therein) refer to and'withdraw, or explain, the previous incorrect charge. “A charge embodying an erroneous principle and one which has a tendency to injure the losing party is not cured by a subsequent instruction embodying a correct statement of the law, when attention is not called to the previous charge. A charge containing two distinct propositions directly conflicting the one with the other is calculated to leave the jury in such a confused condition of mind that they can not render an intelligent verdict.” Morris v. Warlick, 118 Ga. 421 (2) (45 *236SE 407); Bryant v. State, 191 Ga. 686, 719 (13) (13 SE2d 820). If a sheriff’s right to hold his office is to be taken from him, it should be done only in a proceeding in strict compliance, in all respects, with the applicable rules of law.