Corbin v. State, 18834
| Citation | 86 S.E.2d 221,211 Ga. 400 |
| Decision Date | 16 February 1955 |
| Docket Number | No. 18834,18834 |
| Parties | John F. CORBIN v. The STATE. |
| Court | Supreme Court of Georgia |
Frank H. Morrison II, William Hall, Carter Goode, Atlanta, for plaintiff in error.
Paul Webb, Sol. Gen., Wm. E. Spence, Carl B. Copeland, Charlie O. Murphy, Atlanta, Eugene Cook, Atty. Gen., H. Grady Almand, Jr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Joan Larsen, Atlanta, for defendant in error.
Syllabus Opinion by the Court
1. One phase of the evidence shows that the defendant and the deceased and a soldier were comparing .22 pistols, and the defendant and the deceased 'got to 'rasseling' and the next thing * * * the gun * * * kicked * * * and there was a loud report and Oscar fell over.' This evidence, submitted in the form of a statement signed by the accused and the testimony of two police officers that the defendant has made a statement after his arrest which is approximately the same version of the shooting and killing of the deceased, would have authorized a conviction of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, and it was the duty of the trial judge to instruct the jury as to this lesser crime. The failure so to charge requires the grant of a new trial, as special grounds 3, 5, and 7 of the amended motion complaining thereof are meritorious. See Pool v. State, 87 Ga. 526, 13 S.E. 556; Burton v. State, 92 Ga. 449, 17 S.E. 99; Kelly v. State, 145 Ga. 210(3) 88 S.E. 822; Scrutchens v. State, 146 Ga. 189(4), 91 S.E. 25; Goodson v. State, 162 Ga. 178(6), 132 S.E. 899; Jackson v. State, 181 Ga. 753(2), 184 S.E. 279; Sims v. State, 203 Ga. 668(2), 47 S.E.2d 862.
2. Based upon the circumstances cited above, the court charged that, if the jury found the defendant committed thereby either the crime of pointing a gun at another or assault and battery, and in so doing the killing occurred, then the jury might find the accused guilty of involuntary manslaughter. In special ground 4 complaint is made that such a charge erroneously restricted the jury to the two unlawful acts mentioned therein, while they could have found other unlawful acts, namely carrying a concealed pistol and carrying a pistol without a license. Nothing in the evidence would have authorized such finding, and the charge is not subject to this criticism.
3. The charge advising the jury of the authority conferred by law upon the judge to reduce the penalty from death to life imprisonment when the conviction rests entirely upon circumstantial evidence is erroneous for two reasons, to wit: (1) the evidence was in part direct, hence not entirely circumstantial; and (2) it should never be given because it could not possibly help the jury perform...
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..., 190 Ga. 872, 11 S.E.2d 5 (1940) ; Johns v. State , 178 Ga. 676, 173 S.E. 917 (1934), overruled on other grounds by Corbin v. State , 211 Ga. 400, 86 S.E.2d 221 (1955) ; Herndon v. State , 178 Ga. 832, 174 S.E. 597) (1934) ; Rawlings v. State , 163 Ga. 406, 136 S.E. 448 (1926) ; Groce v. S......
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Starr v. State, 50157
...here of unintentional killing, or of pointing a pistol at the deceased and accidentally killing him, as was the case in Corbin v. State, 211 Ga. 400(1), 86 S.E.2d 221. See also Drake v. State,221 Ga. 347, 348(2), 144 S.E.2d 519. The court did not err in failing to charge on involuntary mans......
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