Corbin v. State

525 S.E.2d 365, 240 Ga. App. 788, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 4377, 1999 Ga. App. LEXIS 1493
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedNovember 15, 1999
DocketA99A1180
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 525 S.E.2d 365 (Corbin 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
Corbin v. State, 525 S.E.2d 365, 240 Ga. App. 788, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 4377, 1999 Ga. App. LEXIS 1493 (Ga. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

Phipps, Judge.

Ronnie Corbin was convicted of aggravated assault upon a correctional officer. He appeals, raising five principal issues: (1) whether the trial court erred in ordering that he be restrained during his trial; (2) whether the trial court erred in admitting photographs of the officer’s injuries, when the State had not disclosed the existence of the photographs to Corbin; (3) whether the trial court erred in denying Corbin a continuance to gather evidence to rebut the photographs; (4) whether the evidence was sufficient for conviction; and (5) whether his attorney was ineffective. We decide the first four issues against Corbin and remand the case to the trial court for consideration of the ineffectiveness issue.

On June 30, 1996, Marion Hardwick, a guard at Georgia State Prison, told Corbin, an inmate, that he was playing his music too loudly and that he must turn down his radio. Corbin refused. Hard-wick referred the matter to a superior, who spoke with Corbin and got him to turn down his music. Later that morning as Hardwick walked past Corbin’s cell, Corbin called to him and threw a boiling hot, oily liquid into his face. Hardwick suffered burns to his face, neck and shoulder. He was treated immediately after the incident at the prison emergency room and later at a physician’s office.

1. On the day before trial, Corbin was transported from the prison to the trial court but was removed from the courtroom later because of his threatening behavior. As a result, the judge ordered that Corbin would be placed in restraints during trial. The next day, before the trial started, the prosecutor asked the judge to perfect the record regarding the use of restraints on Corbin during trial. A hearing was held during which a correctional officer testified that Corbin had threatened the judge and everyone with whom he came into contact the day before. Corbin’s conduct had been video recorded, and the tapes were introduced at the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge ruled, based on the testimony at the hearing and *789 his own observations of Corbin’s conduct the day before, that “restraints [were] necessary to maintain order and provide for the safety of persons in the courtroom.”

During its charge to the jury, the court instructed the jury to ignore the restraints in weighing the evidence and deciding Corbin’s guilt or innocence.

“[W]here there is good and sufficient cause, the court has discretion in requiring a defendant to be handcuffed or shackled for security reasons. Abuse of discretion is the test on appeal where restraining devices have been used in the trial court.” [Cit.] 1

“[D]etailed, demonstrable evidence [must be] set forth in the record to support the infringement by the court on the defendant’s presumption of innocence,” however. 2

Neither Corbin nor his lawyer objected to the imposition of restraints on Corbin. Thus Corbin waived the issue. 3 But we also find sufficient evidence in the record to demonstrate the necessity of placing restraints on Corbin. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in requiring Corbin to wear restraints during the trial. 4

2. The prosecuting attorney has a duty to make available to the defendant, for inspection and copying, photographs which are within the possession, custody or control of the prosecutor and which the prosecutor intends to introduce at trial. 5 In response to Corbin’s discovery requests, the State did not mention photographs of Hard-wick’s injuries. Instead, it said, “Evidence available for inspection at . . . Georgia State Prison.”

At trial, Corbin objected to the introduction of the photographs, and the court found that the prosecutor did not give Corbin sufficient notice of their existence. 6 Nevertheless, the court allowed the State to introduce them. The judge reasoned, “[T]he pictures at most can just corroborate [Hardwick’s] testimony.” After the ruling, Corbin’s attorney moved for a continuance “to find and produce whatever information I can that would rebut [the photographs].” The court denied the motion.

*790 OCGA § 17-16-6 gives trial courts wide latitude in remedying discovery violations by the State. 7

If at any time during the course of proceedings it is brought to the attention of the court that the state has failed to comply with the requirements of this article, the court may order the state to permit the discovery or inspection, interview of the witness, grant a continuance, or, upon a showing of prejudice and bad faith, prohibit the state from introducing the evidence not disclosed or presenting the witness not disclosed, or may enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances. 8
“In reviewing a trial court’s decision as to whether to impose sanctions or take other corrective action as a result of the State’s failure to comply with its discovery obligations, the appropriate standard of review is whether the trial court abused its discretion.” 9

Corbin did not show, and the record does not suggest, that the prosecutor acted with bad faith. Also we do not find that Corbin was prejudiced by lack of notice that the photographs would be introduced at trial. The State’s discovery to Corbin included the incident report from Georgia State Prison, which indicated under “Medical Findings” that a hot liquid was thrown on Hardwick’s face, neck and shoulder and that Hardwick’s face and hands were “burning” when he was treated at the prison. When the photographs were admitted, Hardwick had already testified that he had been burned by the liquid Corbin threw on him. Corbin’s attorney examined the photographs before they were admitted into evidence. Later in the trial, the nurse who treated Hardwick testified that when she saw Hardwick immediately after the incident, his face, neck and shoulder were red, and he appeared to her to have suffered first degree burns. In the absence of evidence of bad faith by the prosecutor and prejudice to Corbin, we do not find the trial court erred in admitting the photographs. Nor do we find that the court abused its discretion in denying Corbin’s request for a continuance. 10

3. Corbin challenges his conviction under general grounds and *791 asserts that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Under Jackson v. Virginia 11

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Related

Daniels v. State
713 S.E.2d 689 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2011)
White v. State
656 S.E.2d 567 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2008)
Rollinson v. State
623 S.E.2d 211 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2005)
Corbin v. State
602 S.E.2d 211 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2004)
In the Interest of A. L. E.
546 S.E.2d 319 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2001)
In Re ALE
546 S.E.2d 319 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
525 S.E.2d 365, 240 Ga. App. 788, 99 Fulton County D. Rep. 4377, 1999 Ga. App. LEXIS 1493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corbin-v-state-gactapp-1999.