Cummings v. State

172 S.E.2d 395, 226 Ga. 46, 1970 Ga. LEXIS 426
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedJanuary 8, 1970
Docket25517
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 172 S.E.2d 395 (Cummings v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cummings v. State, 172 S.E.2d 395, 226 Ga. 46, 1970 Ga. LEXIS 426 (Ga. 1970).

Opinions

Almand, Chief Justice.

George Cummings was indicted for the murder of Anderson Shaw by shooting him with a pistol. The murder occurred on October 7, 1968. He was tried April 9, 1969, found guilty and sentenced to death. He moved for a new trial on the general grounds and five special grounds. His appeal is from the denial of this motion.

Enumerated error 4 asserts that the court erred in overruling appellant’s written demand that the district attorney be required to produce: (a) copies of all reports made by investigating officers of the Atlanta Police Department and members of the district attorney’s staff which were pertinent to the case; (b) a list of all witnesses who appeared before the grand jury, or who will or may appear in the trial of the case along with copies of the fingerprint records of the witnesses; (c) a copy of the transcript of the testimony delivered before the grand jury; and (d) a copy of the transcript of the evidence taken in the hearing by the court of inquiry. These requests were made pursuant to Code § 27-406.

It is alleged that this denial violated the appellant’s right to due process of law as guaranteed by the Federal and State Constitutions.

Under prior decisions of this court, it was not error to deny the request for the production of the alleged documents. Williams v. State, 222 Ga. 208 (2) (149 SE2d 449); Walker v. State, 215 Ga. 128 (5) (109 SE2d 748); Blevins v. State, 220 Ga. 720 (2) (141 SE2d 426); Brown v. State, 223 Ga. 76 (9) (153 SE2d 709).

Enumeration of error 5 asserts that the court erred in denying the appellant’s motion to question each juror individually concerning the truth or untruth of his opposition to capital punishment which was expressed in answer to the question propounded by the State, “Are you conscientiously opposed to capital punishment?” as provided for by Code §§ 59-806, 59-807. [48]*48It is argued that appellant was thus denied his constitutional right to due process of law, and his right to a fair trial, both being rights which are guaranteed to him by stated provisions of the Federal and State Constitutions.

Code § 59-806 (Ga. L. 1855-56, p. 231) provides that in a trial for a felony, any juror may be put upon his voir dire, and four questions shall be propounded to him. The subsection dealing with the fourth such question is stated as follows: “ 'Are you conscientiously opposed to capital punishment?’ If he shall answer this question in the negative, he shall be held a competent juror: Provided, nevertheless, that either the State or the defendant shall have the right to introduce evidence before the judge to show that the answers, or any of them, are untrue; and it shall be the duty of the judge to determine upon the truth of such answers as may be thus questioned before the court.”

The record discloses that while the district attorney was in the process of qualifying the jury and asked the question as to whether or not any members of the jury panel were conscientiously opposed to capital punishment, counsel for the appellant asserted his right to cross examine each juror who answered in the affirmative as to whether he was conscientiously opposed to capital punishment. Appellant’s counsel further requested the court for permission to ask the two additional questions allowed under Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U. S. 510 (88 SC 1770, 20 LE2d 776). Whisman v. State, 224 Ga. 793 (164 SE2d 719). The court ruled that counsel for the appellant could not further examine the jurors.

The challenge to the qualifications of the jurors made here was to the poll, for cause. Such challenges are to be tried by the court on the testimony of the juror to the exclusion of all other evidence. If the juror’s answer is found to be true, he is disqualified per se. Turner v. State, 114 Ga. 421 (2) (40 SE 308); Code § 59-807 (Ga. L. 1855-56, p. 231).

However, counsel for the appellant contends that under 'Code § 59-806 (4) which provides: “Provided nevertheless, that either the State or the defendant shall have the' right to introduce evidence before the judge to show that the answers, or any [49]*49of them, are untrue, and it shall be the duty of the judge to determine upon the truth of such answers as may be thus questioned before the court,” that he had the right to cross-examine each juror.

Code § 59-806 (4) is a codification of Ga. Laws 1855-56, p. 231. This court in Pines v. State, 21 Ga. 227, 237, said, concerning the application of this section: “It is true that the further statements of the juror himself might be called ‘evidence,’ in the language of the statute. But why limit the questions to four if twenty may be asked? And then the words of the Act are, ‘shall have the right to introduce evidence ” rather intimating that the proof is to come from some other source than the juror himself. We would not say that the court might not sua sponte further interrogate the juror. We only intend to negative the right of the party to do this.” This ruling was followed in Lindsay v. State, 138 Ga. 818 (1) (76 SE 369); Duncan v. State, 141 Ga. 4 (1) (80 SE 317); Cady v. State, 198 Ga. 99 (1) (31 SE2d 38). It was not error for the court to deny the request of counsel to further examine the jurors concerning their answers on voir dire.

Enumeration of error 6 asserts that the court erred in admitting into evidence, over objection, State’s exhibit 14 (a test .22 caliber projectile). Appellant further argued that this exhibit, along with State’s exhibit 13 (a .22 caliber pistol from which the fatal projectile was fired) should not have been admitted into evidence because they were not connected with the defendant in any way.

Kelly Fite, a technician in the Georgia State Crime Laboratory, testified without objection that State’s exhibit 13 (a .22 caliber pistol), State’s exhibit 12 (a bullet taken from the body of the victim), and State’s exhibit 14 (a .22 caliber test bullet) were examined by him. He testified that the test bullet (State’s exhibit 14), was fired from State’s exhibit 13 (the .22 caliber pistol in question). He further testified that, in his opinion, the bullet which killed Anderson Shaw was fired from State’s exhibit 13. Counsel for appellant cross examined the witness concerning these matters.

It was not error to admit the exhibits complained of, since [50]*50substantially the same evidence was admitted without obection. Massey v. State, 220 Ga. 883 (4) (142 SE2d 832); Whippier v. State, 218 Ga. 198 (7) (126 SE2d 744).

The appellant, in his statement, admitted firing a pistol at the time and place in question. There was no evidence of any other pistol shots being fired at the moment of the murder. Though there was no direct evidence that State’s exhibit 13 was the pistol which fired the fatal shot, the jury was authorized to find, from the direct and circumstantial evidence, that the bullet which caused the victim’s death was fired by the appellant.

Enumeration of error 7 contends that the court erred in denying appellant’s motion for mistrial. Appellant urges that the motion should have been granted because of allegedly improper statements made during the argument by the assistant district attorney.

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Bluebook (online)
172 S.E.2d 395, 226 Ga. 46, 1970 Ga. LEXIS 426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cummings-v-state-ga-1970.