Chezem v. State

406 S.E.2d 522, 199 Ga. App. 869, 1991 Ga. App. LEXIS 701
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJune 5, 1991
DocketA91A0018
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 406 S.E.2d 522 (Chezem v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chezem v. State, 406 S.E.2d 522, 199 Ga. App. 869, 1991 Ga. App. LEXIS 701 (Ga. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

Birdsong, Presiding Judge.

Appellant, Dale Chezem, appeals from the verdict of guilty of public indecency, as charged, and denial of his motion for new trial. The amended accusation avers, inter alia, appellant did unlawfully perform a lewd appearance in a state of complete nudity in a public place, to-wit: in front of a glass door facing a city street, and that said appearance further involved a lewd exposure of appellant’s sexual organs. Held:

1. Appellant asserts that the trial court erred in allowing two witnesses to testify when they had not been listed as witnesses, following a timely defense demand prior to arraignment, until immediately prior to trial.

The record reflects that the husband and wife who lived across the street from appellant and who had filed a complaint with the police regarding appellant’s conduct and from whose house appellant’s conduct was witnessed by two law enforcement officers, were allowed to testify as rebuttal witnesses for the State. Appellant’s counsel made an admission in judicio of knowledge that the wife was the person who had been present in the room with the officers the day of the incident, although counsel disclaimed having any information as to the scope of the husband’s knowledge of the incident. The record further reflects that although the State had been aware of these witnesses prior to trial, it was not until immediately before trial that appellant was served with a supplemental witness list including the names of these witnesses; thereafter, an agreement apparently was entered between the State and appellant that the witnesses would not be used by the State. Appellant, however, does not assert the State broke this agreement in bad faith, rather it is asserted the use of the witnesses in rebuttal was not authorized where the State was well aware of the witnesses in advance, and where the nature of the witnesses’ testimony was such that the State reasonably knew it would use the witnesses at trial “and their evidence was, in essence, case-in-chief evidence.”

Appellant cites a number of cases for our consideration, see, e.g., Allison v. State, 256 Ga. 851 (353 SE2d 805), which involve situations where defendant was never given any type of witness list prior to trial. These cases are not controlling, as they are factually distinguishable from this case where written notice, albeit late, was given to appellant immediately before trial. Moreover, at no point during trial did appellant affirmatively assert either a lack of prior actual knowledge of the witnesses’ existence or request a continuance on the record notwithstanding his counsel’s claim that the untimely notificátion procedure used by the State caused a lack of opportunity to interview *870 the witness prior to trial.

The transcending purpose of OCGA § 17-7-110 is to insure that an accused is not confronted at trial with testimony against him from witnesses whom he has not had the opportunity to interview prior to trial. Moody v. State, 258 Ga. 818 (4) (375 SE2d 30); Sheriff v. State, 197 Ga. App. 143, 144 (3) (397 SE2d 732). We are satisfied that the circumstances in this case sufficiently establish, as in Moody, supra, that appellant possessed reasonable information as to the identity and location of the witnesses who lived directly across the street, so that he was not deprived, in fact, of an opportunity to interview them had he chosen to do so before trial.

“The sanction of the statute excluding the testimony of a witness whose identity has not been disclosed as required by the statute is not a mandatory exclusion and the protection contemplated by the statute can be accomplished where the trial court in its discretion determines the defendant can be protected by some other form of relief.” Bone v. State, 178 Ga. App. 802, 805 (1) (345 SE2d 46). Appellant failed at trial to timely move the court for either á continuance or a mistrial. Appellant cannot complain of a ruling his own procedure or conduct aided in causing. Hawkins v. State, 195 Ga. App. 739 (2) (395 SE2d 251); compare Hardin v. State, 142 Ga. App. 795, 796 (1) (237 SE2d 202). Viewing the record in its totality, we conclude, as in Moody, supra, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in permitting the witnesses to testify in the face of the specific objection posed on the record and encompassed within this particular enumeration of error.

Additionally, if it is not error to call an unlisted witness in rebuttal (Wilson v. State, 257 Ga. 444, 447 (7) (359 SE2d 891)), it is not error to call an untimely listed rebuttal witness as well. See generally the discussion at Division 3, below.

2. Appellant’s brief contains a reference to the failure of the trial court to give certain limiting instructions. On appeal an enumeration of error cannot be enlarged by brief to give appellate viability to an issue not contained in the original enumeration. Nobles v. State, 191 Ga. App. 594, 599 (6) (382 SE2d 637).

3. Appellant asserts the trial court erred in allowing similar transaction evidence to be presented when the State had not served a notice of similar transaction, as required by Uniform Superior Court Rule 31.3.

The testimony of the husband and wife elicited by the State, during its rebuttal, included instances of so-called similar transactions, that is, other instances of similar public indecency committed by appellant, notwithstanding no notice of such similar transactions had been served upon appellant pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 31.3.

*871 We note that before the evidence of similar transactions was introduced at trial appellant had taken the stand in his own defense, and had presented a character witness who testified appellant enjoyed a “very good” reputation in the community and that he would believe him under oath. This is not a situation where State’s similar transaction evidence causes defendant’s character to be placed in issue before defendant has affirmatively done so. Appellant does not claim a violation of OCGA § 24-9-20 occurred, and accordingly any such appellate contention is abandoned. Court of Appeals Rule 15 (c).

Contrary to appellant’s assertions, USCR 31.3 was not violated in this case for two distinct reasons. First, the so-called similar transaction evidence establishes an unmistakable pattern of public indecency involving the same type of conduct as contained in the alternative averments of the amended accusation. These acts occurred well within the statute of limitation as the record established unmistakably the time frame during which appellant lived in that neighborhood prior to his arrest. Evidence of guilt of an accused is not restricted to the day mentioned in the indictment or accusation, but may extend to any appropriate date previous to the finding in the indictment or accusation, and within the statute of limitation from the prosecution of the offense charged. Compare Keri v. State, 179 Ga. App. 664, 668 (4) (347 SE2d 236) and Carpenter v. State, 167 Ga.

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Bluebook (online)
406 S.E.2d 522, 199 Ga. App. 869, 1991 Ga. App. LEXIS 701, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chezem-v-state-gactapp-1991.