Farmer v. State, A98A0235.
Citation | 498 S.E.2d 559,231 Ga. App. 78 |
Decision Date | 10 March 1998 |
Docket Number | No. A98A0235.,A98A0235. |
Parties | FARMER v. The STATE. |
Court | Georgia Court of Appeals |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
Aldous D. McCrory, Rome, for appellant. Tambra P. Colston, District Attorney, Leigh E. Patterson, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.
Farmer appeals his conviction for child molestation of his niece, contending that the trial court erroneously admitted similar transaction evidence of a prior act of molestation against another one of his nieces. Farmer further contends that the trial court erred by refusing to give a limiting instruction requested by him with regard to such evidence at the time that it was admitted. For the reasons set forth below, we reverse Farmer's conviction.
1. In his first enumeration of error, Farmer contends that evidence of a prior act of molestation against another one of his nieces was improperly admitted. We disagree.
(Footnote omitted.) Williams v. State, 261 Ga. 640, 642(2)(b), 409 S.E.2d 649 (1991). Furthermore, ( Punctuation omitted.) McKenzie v. State, 223 Ga.App. 108, 111(2)(c)(i), 476 S.E.2d 868 (1996). A trial court's determination that similar transaction evidence is admissible will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. See Rodriguez v. State, 211 Ga.App. 256, 259(4)(b), 439 S.E.2d 510 (1993).
Farmer's argument is without merit, as the State satisfied the requirements of Williams. At the evidentiary hearing, the State showed (1) that it intended to introduce evidence of the independent act "to corroborate testimony of the victim as well as to show the lustful disposition of the defendant"; (2) that there was sufficient evidence that the defendant had committed the prior act, which was subsequently shown at trial through testimony of the prior victim, her parents, and a DFACS caseworker; and (3) that there was sufficient similarity between the prior act and the present act of molestation in that both acts were committed against one of Farmer's nieces under similar circumstances. Farmer contends, however, that the trial court did not make a determination on the record that each of the elements enunciated in Williams, supra, for admission of such evidence was satisfactorily shown by the State. "Even if the trial court did not make specific rulings on the record that each of the elements enunciated in Williams for admission of the evidence was satisfied,...
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Howse v. State, A05A0256.
...trial court to have concluded that the Williams requirements were satisfied." (Citation and punctuation omitted.) Farmer v. State, 231 Ga.App. 78, 79(1), 498 S.E.2d 559 (1998). See also Byrd v. State, 236 Ga.App. 485, 489(6)(d), 512 S.E.2d 372 Howse further argues that the similar transacti......
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LIVERY v. State
...evidence is admissible will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion." (Citations and punctuation omitted.) Farmer v. State, 231 Ga.App. 78, 79(1), 498 S.E.2d 559 (1998); see also Peppers v. State, 261 Ga. 338, 339-340(2), 404 S.E.2d 788 (1991). In this case, the State fulfilled the W......
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Byrd v. State
...the evidence was sufficient for the trial court to have concluded that the Williams' requirements were satisfied. Farmer v. State, 231 Ga.App. 78, 79(1), 498 S.E.2d 559 (1998); Parker v. State, 220 Ga.App. 303, 306(5), 469 S.E.2d 410 (1996). 7. Byrd contends OCGA § 17-10-6.1, which dictates......