Foster v. State

316 S.E.2d 828, 170 Ga. App. 222, 1984 Ga. App. LEXIS 2866
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMarch 12, 1984
Docket67351
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 316 S.E.2d 828 (Foster 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
Foster v. State, 316 S.E.2d 828, 170 Ga. App. 222, 1984 Ga. App. LEXIS 2866 (Ga. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

Sognier, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of aggravated assault with intent to rape. On appeal he contends the trial court erred by denying his motion for a new trial based on the general grounds, withholding evidence from the jury and misconduct by the jury. Appellant also enumerates eleven other errors which will be considered in this opinion.

The evidence disclosed that about 7:30 a.m., December 8, 1982 appellant gained entrance to the home of Thomas Consentino on the pretext of replacing a furnace filter. Because Consentino was suspicious he took down the license number of appellant’s truck when he departed.

About 9:30 a.m. the same morning appellant, using the same pretext, gained access to another home occupied by the victim. After appearing to change the filter and checking the heating vents, appellant grabbed the victim from behind and forced her at knifepoint to disrobe completely, go into the bathroom and be photographed. Appellant then threatened the victim and tried to force her to have intercourse with him against her will. When appellant was unsuccessful in his attempt he departed.

The same evening Consentino decided to call the police and report the incident at his home. Because the identification of appellant was the same as that given by the victim, police obtained appellant’s name and address from the tag number, obtained a search warrant and searched appellant’s home. They found a tool box which was identified by Consentino and the victim as the one carried by appellant. The victim also identified a knife and some rope found at appellant’s home as the items appellant used in threatening her. Both the victim and Consentino identified appellant positively as the person who had entered their respective homes.

Appellant denied being at Consentino’s home or the home of the victim, stating that he was at work when the incidents occurred. However, his foreman testified that appellant was late coming to work and did not arrive until about 10:00 or 10:30 a.m.

1. The evidence is more than sufficient to support the verdict and meet the standards of proof required by Jackson v. Virginia, 443 *223 U. S. 307 (99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560).

2. Appellant contends it was error to deny his request for a continuance so he could interview the victim and Consentino. In this regard, the prosecuting attorney arranged to have the victim available for the defense counsel to interview; however, the victim refused to talk to defense counsel prior to trial. Consentino also refused to talk to the defense counsel. •

Although appellant argues that the prosecuting attorney attempted to control the victim and prevent her from talking to defense counsel, the victim testified on this issue that no one told her not to discuss the case with defense counsel. Thus, appellant’s argument is not supported by the transcript. “ ‘Accused and his counsel have the right to interview witnesses before the trial; and the state has no right to deny them access to a witness material to the defense, but a witness cannot be compelled to submit to such interview.’ ” Emmett v. State, 232 Ga. 110, 113 (2) (a) (205 SE2d 231) (1974); Rutledge v. State, 245 Ga. 768, 769 (2) (267 SE2d 199) (1980). Accordingly, it was not error to deny appellant’s motion for a continuance.

3. Appellant contends it was error to deny his motion to quash the indictment because the state deliberately destroyed exculpatory evidence. In regard to this contention, the victim informed police that appellant took three photographs of her, although she was not sure appellant had removed the lens cover before taking the pictures. A 35 mm camera was seized in the search of appellant’s home, but when the film was processed later the same day it was blank; therefore, having no probative value, it was destroyed. Appellant subsequently learned the film had been destroyed, and now argues that the prosecution deliberately destroyed exculpatory evidence.

“[T]he suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution.” Brady v. Maryland, 373 U. S. 83, 87 (83 SC 1194, 10 LE2d 215).

Appellant made no request for the film prior to its development and destruction. Thus, there was no evidence favorable to appellant at the time of his request, which was filed approximately one month after the film had been destroyed. The only possible materiality of the blank film would be to attack the credibility of the victim, and testimony was presented that the film was blank when developed. Thus, the blank film, in and of itself, would not add any weight to the testimony presented about the film. We do not find that the prosecution deliberately suppressed any exculpatory evidence, so it was not error to deny the motion to quash the indictment.

4. Appellant contends it was error to allow both the investigator and the victim to remain in the courtroom after the rule of sequestra *224 tion had been invoked. This contention has been decided adversely to appellant. Dye v. State, 220 Ga. 113, 114 (2) (137 SE2d 465) (1964); Toole v. State, 146 Ga. App. 305, 307 (6) (246 SE2d 338) (1978).

5. Appellant contends the trial court erred by sustaining objections to certain questions by defense counsel on voir dire examination of the jury. The questions objected to would require a juror to prejudge the case; related to whether the jurors would hold it against appellant if he failed to testify or present evidence; or related to legal matters which would be covered by the court’s charge, such as presumption of innocence, reasonable doubt, and the meaning of aggravated assault. Such questions are improper on voir dire. Gunnin v. State, 112 Ga. App. 720 (2) (146 SE2d 131) (1965); Young v. State, 131 Ga. App. 553, 554 (2) (206 SE2d 536) (1974).

6. Appellant contends the trial court erred by excluding evidence of bias on the part of Consentino. This enumeration is not supported by the transcript.

Defense counsel’s investigator was a constable and appellant sought to show through cross-examination that several years prior to this case, Consentino had difficulty with a constable. Consentino testified, in fact, that he was not upset by the fact that the investigator was a constable. Nor was he upset by the fact that several years before the trial defense counsel, as a judicial officer, signed a dispossessory warrant against Consentino. Consentino gave a statement to police and identified appellant the night of the incident. Consentino’s statement, given before he was aware who represented appellant, corresponded in all respects to his trial testimony. The scope of cross-examination rests within the discretion of the trial judge, to control this right within reasonable bounds, and his discretion will not be controlled by a reviewing court unless it is abused. Miller v. State, 155 Ga. App. 587 (3) (271 SE2d 719) (1980). We find no abuse of discretion in this case.

7.

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Bluebook (online)
316 S.E.2d 828, 170 Ga. App. 222, 1984 Ga. App. LEXIS 2866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foster-v-state-gactapp-1984.