Shields v. State

Decision Date21 June 1972
Docket NumberNo. 47200,No. 3,47200,3
Citation126 Ga.App. 544,191 S.E.2d 448
PartiesCharles SHIELDS v. The STATE
CourtGeorgia Court of Appeals

Glenn Zell, Atlanta, for appellant.

Lewis R. Slaton, Dist. Atty., James H. Mobley, Jr., Joel M. Feldman, Richard E. Hicks, Atlanta, for appellee.

Syllabus Opinion by the Court

QUILLIAN, Judge.

The appellant was convicted of manslaughter and a misdemeanor. An appeal was filed and the case is here for review. Held:

1. Where a preliminary hearing is held the defendant must be afforded counsel because it is a critical stage of the criminal court process. Coleman v. Alabama, 399 U.S. 1, 90 S.Ct. 1999, 26 L.Ed.2d 387. However, the defendant is not deprived of any constitutional right if the grand jury issues an indictment against him prior to the holding of a preliminary hearing. Johnson v. Plunkett, 215 Ga. 353(3), 110 S.E.2d 745; Johnson v. State, 215 Ga. 839(5), 114 S.E.2d 35; Cannon v. Grimes, 223 Ga. 35(2-3), 153 S.E.2d 445; Henderson v. State, 225 Ga. 273(2), 168 S.E.2d 160. Therefore, it was not error to deny the defendant's motion for a preliminary hearing which was made subsequent to his indictment.

2. The appellant contends that the trial judge erred in instructing the jury: 'Now, the law presumes every act which is in itself unlawful was criminally intended until the contrary is made to appear.' Under that which was held in Williams v. State, Ga.App., 191 S.E.2d 100, the appellant's contention is correct because the charge is contrary to that which is stated in the Criminal Code of Georgia, § 26-605 (Code Ann. § 26-605; Ga.L.1968, pp. 1249, 1269).

3. The remaining enumerations of error are without merit.

Judgment reversed.

HALL, P.J., and PANNELL, J., concur.

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5 cases
  • Johnson v. State
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • 12 Julio 1972
    ...S.E.2d 51, that the absence of a commitment hearing does not divest the criminal court of jurisdiction. Our court in Shields v. State, 126 Ga.App. 544, 191 S.E.2d 448, ruled that it was not error to deny defendant's motion for preliminary hearing which was made subsequent to the indictment.......
  • Shields v. State, 55975
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • 6 Septiembre 1978
    ...convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve a term of nine years as determined by the jury in 1971. In Shields v. State, 126 Ga.App. 544, 191 S.E.2d 448, his conviction and sentence were reversed. He was retried and again convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the jury this tim......
  • Douglas v. State, 49637
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • 24 Septiembre 1974
    ...S.E.2d 35; Cannon v. Grimes, 223 Ga. 35(2, 3), 153 S.E.2d 445; Henderson v. State, 225 Ga. 273(2), 168 S.E.2d 160.' Shields v. State, 126 Ga.App. 544(1), 191 S.E.2d 448. Since the purpose of the commitment hearing is to determine whether there is probable cause to hold the accused for trial......
  • First Nat. Bank & Trust Co. in Macon v. State, s. 51157
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • 4 Febrero 1976
    ...S.E.2d 35; Cannon v. Grimes, 223 Ga. 35(2, 3), 153 S.E.2d 445; Henderson v. State, 225 Ga. 273(2), 168 S.E.2d 160.' Shields v. State, 126 Ga.App. 544(1), 191 S.E.2d 448.' Douglas v. State, 132 Ga.App. 694(1), 209 S.E.2d 114. 'A committal court would have no jurisdiction to determine whether......
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