Currington v. State

Decision Date30 May 1973
Docket NumberNo. 48158,No. 2,48158,2
Citation199 S.E.2d 268,129 Ga.App. 161
PartiesAlbert CURRINGTON v. The STATE
CourtGeorgia Court of Appeals

Dan S. Beeland, Columbus, for appellant.

E. Mullins Whisnant, Dist. Atty., Douglas C. Pullen, Columbus, for appellee.

Syllabus Opinion by the Court

EVANS, Judge.

The defendant was indicted for possession of dangerous drugs. He filed a motion to suppress certain evidence obtained by search of the defendant's house which allegedly violated the 4th and 14th Amendments of the Constitution of the United States. After a hearing, the same was denied, and defendant appeals. Held:

The sole contention of the defendant is that the search warrant is defective in that the deponent therein had received information from a confidential informant who has proved reliable in the past with information which led to the arrest of only one person; and that this information is insufficient for the magistrate to conclude that the informer was credible and reliable. He cites no authorities which support his position on this point. The affidavit here recites the informant had seen marijuana being sold on the premises within the past 24 hours.

The case of Patterson v. State, 124 Ga.App. 465, 184 S.E.2d 228, cited by defendant, is not in point or in any way applicable to the information furnished in the search warrant here. He also cites Sams v. State, 121 Ga.App. 46, 47, 172 S.E.2d 473, which case refers to reliability in the past as to 'gambling and lottery information' which might or might not have been on more than one occasion. No authority is cited which holds that the reliable information must lead to arrest or conviction. It is sufficient if it be reliable and credible. Johnson v. State, 121 Ga.App. 477, 478, 174 S.E.2d 246, cited by defendant does not support his position, for the facts there show the informant's previous reliability to be based on only one occasion in which the unidentified informant purchased illegal beer. In Clyatt v. State, 126 Ga.App. 779, 192 S.E.2d 417, also cited by defendant, it is not shown whether the alleged reliable information furnished by the informer was premised on his reliability on only one occasion, or more than one occasion. That case does not hold that the reliable informer's other information must lead to arrest or conviction in order for the magistrate to make an independent determination of reliability.

The tests of Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 an...

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6 cases
  • Galgano v. State, 55628
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • September 25, 1978
    ...not have led to arrests or convictions in the past. Tomblin v. State, 128 Ga.App. 823(1), 198 S.E.2d 366 (1973); Currington v. State, 129 Ga.App. 161, 162, 199 S.E.2d 268 (1973). Accord, Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, at 268, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed.2d 697 (1960); Clyatt v. State, 126 G......
  • Bryan v. State, s. 51292
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • January 5, 1976
    ...reliability. Sams v. State, 121 Ga.App. 46, 172 S.E.2d 473; Tomblin v. State, 128 Ga.App. 823, 198 S.E.2d 366; Currington v. State, 129 Ga.App. 161, 199 S.E.2d 268. While the affidavit fails to set forth any of the underlying circumstances concerning the source of the informer's information......
  • Dalton v. State
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • March 17, 1982
    ...paraphernalia used therein and identity of illegal drugs. Bryan v. State, 137 Ga.App. 169(1), 223 S.E.2d 219; Currington v. State, 129 Ga.App. 161, 162, 199 S.E.2d 268; Giles v. State, 149 Ga.App. 263, 265-266, 254 S.E.2d 154. There is no merit in the enumeration of error complaining that t......
  • Bush v. State, 48157
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • May 30, 1973
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