Reese v. State, No. A04A1629.

CourtGeorgia Court of Appeals
Writing for the CourtMILLER.
Citation270 Ga. App. 522,607 S.E.2d 165
Decision Date08 November 2004
Docket NumberNo. A04A1629.
PartiesREESE v. The STATE.

607 S.E.2d 165
270 Ga.
App. 522

REESE
v.
The STATE

No. A04A1629.

Court of Appeals of Georgia.

November 8, 2004.

Reconsideration Denied November 19, 2004.

Certiorari Denied March 28, 2005.


607 S.E.2d 166
Leonard Parks, Valpey & Parks, Gainesville, for Appellant

Jason Deal, Northeastern Judicial Circuit, Gainesville, Richard Vandever, Assistant District Attorney, for Appellee.

MILLER, Judge.

Joe Clayton Reese appeals from a conviction for voluntary manslaughter on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction and that the trial court erred in its handling of the jury. We find no error and therefore affirm.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict, the evidence showed that Reese became involved in an altercation between his father and mother. When his father began throwing rocks at the family chickens, Reese made him stop by holding him in a headlock and by the nose. Reese then went into the house, where his mother was. Reese's brother arrived, becoming angry when he learned of the altercation between Reese and their father, and said that he had warned Reese that if he ever touched their father, he would kill [270 Ga. App. 523] him. Reese, who now had a rifle, replied, "I didn't hurt him. I just put him in a headlock. I promise you." Both the mother and a stepbrother tried to calm Reese's brother, but he started up the front porch steps toward Reese. The mother backed Reese into a corner of the porch and moved toward the brother, who knocked her aside. Reese shot his brother eight times; he died minutes later. Reese was charged with murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. He was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He now appeals on three grounds: that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction, that the trial court improperly dismissed a juror, and that an instruction on self-defense was improperly given.

On appeal from a criminal conviction, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence. Williams v. State, 261 Ga.App. 793, 794(1), 584 S.E.2d 64 (2003). We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only whether the evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find the defendant guilty of the charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).

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166 practice notes
  • Neal v. State, No. S11A1663.
    • United States
    • Georgia Supreme Court
    • 27 Febrero 2012
    ...does, giving that instruction is not harmful, even when the exceptions described by subsection (b) do not apply. [Cit.]” Reese v. State, 270 Ga.App. 522, 524(3), 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). See also Lee v. State, 265 Ga. 112, 113–114(3)(a), 454 S.E.2d 761 (1995); Jolley v. State, 254 Ga. 624, 62......
  • Hargrove v. State, A21A0810
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 8 Septiembre 2021
    ...evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence." Reese v. State , 270 Ga. App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). "We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only whether, after vie......
  • Croft v. State, A18A1198
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 23 Octubre 2018
    ...most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence." (Citation omitted.) Reese v. State , 270 Ga. App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only whether, after viewin......
  • Merritt v. State, No. A14A1446.
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 20 Noviembre 2014
    ...evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence.” Reese v. State, 270 Ga.App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004) (citation omitted). We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only wh......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
166 cases
  • Neal v. State, No. S11A1663.
    • United States
    • Georgia Supreme Court
    • 27 Febrero 2012
    ...does, giving that instruction is not harmful, even when the exceptions described by subsection (b) do not apply. [Cit.]” Reese v. State, 270 Ga.App. 522, 524(3), 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). See also Lee v. State, 265 Ga. 112, 113–114(3)(a), 454 S.E.2d 761 (1995); Jolley v. State, 254 Ga. 624, 62......
  • Hargrove v. State, A21A0810
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 8 Septiembre 2021
    ...evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence." Reese v. State , 270 Ga. App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). "We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only whether, after vie......
  • Croft v. State, A18A1198
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 23 Octubre 2018
    ...most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence." (Citation omitted.) Reese v. State , 270 Ga. App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004). We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only whether, after viewin......
  • Merritt v. State, No. A14A1446.
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 20 Noviembre 2014
    ...evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, with the defendant no longer enjoying a presumption of innocence.” Reese v. State, 270 Ga.App. 522, 523, 607 S.E.2d 165 (2004) (citation omitted). We neither weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses, but determine only wh......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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