Collins v. State

Decision Date16 March 1978
Docket NumberNo. 2,No. 55371,55371,2
PartiesRonnie COLLINS v. The STATE
CourtGeorgia Court of Appeals

R. David Botts, Atlanta, for appellant.

M. Randall Peek, Dist. Atty., Robert E. Wilson, Asst. Dist. Atty., Decatur, for appellee.

WEBB, Judge.

This appeal is from Collins' conviction of one count of armed robbery of Susan Hudson, who was resident manager of the Wellington Court Apartments, in south DeKalb County. (See Collins v. State, 145 Ga.App. 341(1), 243 S.E.2d 716).

1. Collins insists that a mistrial should have been granted because during cross-examination of a defense witness the district attorney commented: "Do you have a remarkable memory, Ms. Juhan? I congratulate you. Thank you." We do not agree.

After defense counsel objected, the district attorney apologized and the court properly instructed the jury to disregard the remark. "The corrective action taken by the trial court was sufficient and no abuse of discretion appears. The Supreme Court has held that where the instruction by the court to the jury to disregard the remarks was full, it in effect amounted to a rebuke of counsel. (Cits.)." London v. State, 142 Ga.App. 426, 427(1), 236 S.E.2d 158, 159 (1977).

2. The trial court charged: "The law directs that it is your duty, where it can be done, to so reconcile conflicting evidence, if there be such in this case, as to make all of the witnesses speak the truth, and perjury be imputed to none of them. But should there be any evidence in this case in such irreconcilable conflict that this cannot be done, then you would believe the evidence that is most reasonable and most credible to you, under all of the facts and circumstances of the case." This charge was repeated almost verbatim from one recommended by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions of the Council of Superior Court Judges, and we find no error.

3. The contention that in instructing the jury that "the burden rests upon the State to prove all of the material allegations in these two indictments," the trial court failed to completely charge on the law of reasonable doubt is not supported by a reading of the entire charge as a whole. Perkins v. State, 141 Ga.App. 893(1), 234 S.E.2d 715 (1977); Rucker v. State, 135 Ga.App. 468, 471(3), 218 S.E.2d 146 (1975), and citations in both cases.

4. Collins enumerates as error the charge of the court: "Now, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe the contentions of the defendant, it would be your duty to acquit. On the other hand, if you believe (the contentions of the state) then you would be authorized to find him guilty." He asserts that it was not necessary for the jury to believe the defendant's alibi in order to acquit him and that the charge could have erroneously led the jury to conclude that it was limited to an acquittal only if it believed his contentions. He relies upon Graham v. State, 135 Ga.App. 825, 219 S.E.2d 477 (1975) and Henderson v. State, 134 Ga.App. 898, 900(5), 216 S.E.2d 696 (1975), wherein similar charges were held to be erroneous.

However, "In both Graham and Henderson the erroneous instructions were given at the end of the court's charge just prior to instructing the jury on the form of the verdict and 'could easily have stood out in the jury's mind.' Henderson v. State, 134 Ga.App. at 902, 216 S.E. 696 at 700, supra. Moreover, in both cases the court was at best vague in instructing on the concept of reasonable doubt and the state's burden of proof. Neither situation is present in the case sub judice. The erroneous instruction came midway in the court's charge and was preceded and followed by clear instructions on the state's burden to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This, coupled with the ample evidence supporting the verdict of guilty, convinces us that the error was harmless and did not have an effect upon the outcome of the trial. See Burns v. State, 135 Ga.App. 842(4), 219 S.E.2d 487." Avery v. State, 141 Ga.App. 92, 93(4), 232 S.E.2d 618, 619 (1977).

Although the language objected to here, as in Avery, was midway in an otherwise adequate charge, we agree with the holding in Flannigan v. State, 139 Ga.App. 590, 591, 229 S.E.2d 98 (1976), no matter where such an instruction may...

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15 cases
  • Chambers v. State
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 18 Junio 1980
    ...its charge. There is no error, where the instructions when considered as a whole, are unlikely to mislead the jury. Collins v. State, 145 Ga.App. 346, 348, 243 S.E.2d 718. Our examination of the full charge shows that it is perfectly sound. What it might seem to lack when divided is supplie......
  • Mafnas v. State, 56867
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 25 Abril 1979
    ...to, and there is no error where the instructions considered as a whole are unlikely to mislead the jury. Collins v. State, 145 Ga.App. 346, 348(4), 243 S.E.2d 718 (1978). 4. The trial court properly refused to charge that an entrapment defense is not an admission of guilt because this reque......
  • Asbury v. State, 70140
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 8 Julio 1985
    ...may be objectionable, when put together and considered as a whole, the charge is perfectly sound. [Cits.]' " Collins v. State, 145 Ga.App. 346, 348, 243 S.E.2d 718 (1978). See also Futch v. State, 151 Ga.App. 519(2), 260 S.E.2d 520 (1979). "There is no requirement in our Code as to the part......
  • Echols v. State
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 13 Abril 1979
    ...probable that the incorrect statement did not confuse the jury. Jones v. State, 139 Ga.App. 679, 680, 229 S.E.2d 149; Collins v. State, 145 Ga.App. 346(4), 243 S.E.2d 718; Leonard v. State, 146 Ga.App. 439(5), 246 S.E.2d 450. This enumeration is without 3. The third enumeration complains of......
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