Fleming v. State

504 S.E.2d 542, 233 Ga. App. 483, 98 Fulton County D. Rep. 2805, 1998 Ga. App. LEXIS 1014
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJuly 16, 1998
DocketA98A0636
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 504 S.E.2d 542 (Fleming 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
Fleming v. State, 504 S.E.2d 542, 233 Ga. App. 483, 98 Fulton County D. Rep. 2805, 1998 Ga. App. LEXIS 1014 (Ga. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinions

Pope, Presiding Judge.

Denorris Fleming was tried for armed robbery, motor vehicle hijacking, and aggravated assault. He was acquitted of the hijacking charge, and the jury returned a verdict finding him guilty of armed robbery and the lesser offense of simple assault. Fleming appeals, arguing that the court erred in failing to grant his motion for directed verdict; in failing to charge the jury as he requested; and in failing to consider his First Offender Petition. For the following reasons, we affirm Fleming’s conviction and sentence, although in so doing we overrule State v. Allmond, 225 Ga. App. 509 (484 SE2d 306), cert. denied, 225 Ga. App. 906 (1997).

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, on April 21, 1996, the victim was seated in her car in a driveway when she saw Fleming get out of a car. Fleming ran to the driver’s side of the victim’s car, stuck a gun inside the window of the car, and told the victim to get out of the car. When the victim complied, Fleming jumped in the car and drove off.

Although the weapon Fleming used the night of the crime was actually a pellet gun, the victim testified that on the night of the incident she thought the gun was a real one. The victim also testified that she thought Fleming would shoot her if she did not obey his instructions.

The victim identified Fleming as the perpetrator of the crime both in a photographic lineup and later in a lineup of individuals. She also identified Fleming at trial.

Officer Patricia Boyce of the City of East Point testified that she was patrolling an apartment complex when she saw Fleming rushing away as he saw the police vehicle. Her partner chased Fleming on foot, and Officer Boyce then saw a lady’s purse inside the vehicle [484]*484Fleming had occupied. Officer Boyce ran the vehicle’s tag and discovered that it had been reported stolen within the hour.

Fleming gave a statement to police the day after the incident in which he denied any involvement in the carjacking. Several days later he gave a videotaped statement, in which he stated that he was joyriding during “Freaknik” weekend and was just joking when he pulled the gun on the victim. Fleming wrote a letter of apology to the victim, which an officer mailed to her.

At trial Fleming testified that at the time of the incident he was drinking and had intended to simply ask the victim for her phone number. Although Fleming stated that he did not remember pointing the gun at the victim, he admitted that twice he told her to get out of the car. On cross-examination, Fleming conceded that he approached the victim’s car with the gun in his hand and tapped on the car door with the gun. Fleming again apologized for his behavior.

1. Fleming claims that the evidence was insufficient to support the conviction for armed robbery and that the court erred in denying his motion for directed verdict. Specifically, he argues that the pellet gun used in the incident was not an offensive weapon and that he did not use the pellet gun in an intimidating manner.

We disagree. Based on the evidence presented, we conclude that, as used in this incident, the pellet gun constituted an offensive weapon. Morgan v. State, 191 Ga. App. 226, 227 (2) (381 SE2d 402) (1989); Pettway v. State, 204 Ga. App. 804 (420 SE2d 619) (1992); see generally OCGA § 16-8-41 (a). A rational trier of fact could find from the evidence adduced at trial proof of Fleming’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U. S. 307 (99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560) (1979).

2. Fleming argues that the court erred in failing to give two of his requested jury charges. Fleming’s claim that the court erred in failing to give his requested instruction regarding offensive weapons is without merit for the reasons stated in Division 1. Moreover, the charge which the court gave regarding the term “offensive weapon” was proper.

Fleming’s argument that the court should have charged the jury on the lesser included offense of theft by taking is also without merit. The transcript shows that the court initially charged the jury on armed robbery and on the lesser included offense of robbery by intimidation. The jury twice asked to be recharged on armed robbery and the lesser included offense of robbery by intimidation, and the court twice recharged the jury.

“ ‘A written request to charge a lesser included offense must always be given if there is any evidence that the defendant is guilty of the lesser included offense.’ (Citation and punctuation omitted.) Edwards v. State, 264 Ga. 131, 132 (442 SE2d 444) (1994). However, [485]*485‘where the state’s evidence establishes all of the elements of an offense and there is no evidence raising the lesser offense, there is no error in failing to give a charge on the lesser offense.’ (Emphasis in original.) Id. at 133.” Hopkins v. State, 227 Ga. App. 567 (1) (489 SE2d 368) (1997). See also James v. State, 210 Ga. App. 454, 455 (2) (b) (436 SE2d 565) (1993). Here, there was no evidence which would authorize the court to charge on the lesser included offense of theft by taking. Fleming made a videotaped confession admitting to all elements of armed robbery and admitted at trial that he took the car by using a gun. Fleming was guilty of armed robbery or robbery by intimidation, and the appropriate crimes were charged.

3. Finally, Fleming contends that the court erred when it failed to consider his First Offender Petition. Fleming filed the petition after the verdict was returned, but before the court entered the sentence. Fleming’s petition was timely. See generally OCGA § 42-8-60 (a).

In sentencing Fleming, the court relied on State v. Stuckey, 145 Ga. App. 434 (243 SE2d 627) (1978), and because of the mandatory minimum sentences set forth in OCGA § 17-10-6.1, determined that it lacked authority to impose a sentence of less than ten years. Fleming argues that State v. Allmond, 225 Ga. App. 509, established that the provisions of the First Offender Act applied to the serious violent felonies listed in OCGA § 17-10-6.1.

At the time of the March 25, 1997 sentencing hearing, OCGA § 17-10-6.1 (b) provided: “[notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, any person convicted of a serious violent felony . . . [which includes armed robbery as defined in Code section 16-8-41] shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and no portion of the mandatory minimum sentence imposed shall be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing court and shall not be reduced by any form of pardon, parole, or commutation of sentence by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.” (Emphasis supplied.) See generally Bryant v. State, 229 Ga. App. 534 (494 SE2d 353) (1997); Hutchison v. State, 230 Ga. App. 143 (495 SE2d 618) (1998).

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Bluebook (online)
504 S.E.2d 542, 233 Ga. App. 483, 98 Fulton County D. Rep. 2805, 1998 Ga. App. LEXIS 1014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fleming-v-state-gactapp-1998.