Green v. State

249 S.E.2d 1, 242 Ga. 261, 1978 Ga. LEXIS 1169
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedSeptember 7, 1978
Docket33696
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 249 S.E.2d 1 (Green 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
Green v. State, 249 S.E.2d 1, 242 Ga. 261, 1978 Ga. LEXIS 1169 (Ga. 1978).

Opinions

Undercofler, Presiding Justice.

Roosevelt Green, Jr., was convicted of the murder of Teresa Carol Allen and sentenced to death. The appellant is before this court on direct appeal of his conviction and for mandatory review of the death sentence.

Prior to this trial Carzell Moore was convicted of the murder and rape of Teresa Carol Allen and sentenced to death for both offenses. The convictions and death sentences of Moore were affirmed in Moore v. State, 240 Ga. 807 (243 SE2d 1) (1978). The evidence in Moore’s trial adequately portrays the factual situation and will be repeated only where necessary for resolution of some issue.

I. Enumerations of Error

1. The first three enumerations all relate to the general ground of appeal in that they allege (1) the verdict and sentence are not supported by the evidence; (2) the verdict and sentence are contrary to the law and the evidence; and (3) the trial court erred in overruling defendant’s motion for a directed verdict of acquittal.

The only issue presented to this court by these enumerations is whether there is any evidence to support the verdict. Campbell v. State, 240 Ga. 352 (240 SE2d 828) (1977); Drake v. State, 241 Ga. 583 (1978); Bethay v. State, 235 Ga. 371 (219 SE2d 743) (1975); Ridley v. State, 236 Ga. 147 (223 SE2d 131) (1976). In making this determination we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict rendered and resolve all conflict in the evidence in favor of the verdict. Eubanks v. State, 240 Ga. 544 (242 SE2d 41) (1978); Harris v. State, 236 Ga. 766 [262]*262(225 SE2d 263) (1976); Myers v. State, 236 Ga. 677 (225 SE2d 53) (1976); Harris v. State, 234 Ga. 871 (218 SE2d 583) (1975).

From the evidence presented at the trial the jury was authorized to find the following:

a. The appellant was in the area where Miss Allen was robbed and kidnapped shortly before the crime without any means of transportation or funds.

b. He was not seen in the area after the kidnapping and robbery occurred.

c. The appellant appeared in South Carolina driving Teresa Allen’s automobile (which he asked a friend to burn for him) approximately nine hours after the robbery and kidnapping.

d. The convenience store in Cochran that Miss Allen operated was robbed of bills and change. When he appeared in South Carolina, the appellant had in his possession a large quantity of money, both bills and change.

e. The appellant had the murder weapon in his possession when he arrived in South Carolina.

f. A glove found at the scene of the murder had hairs on it similar to those of both appellant and the victim.

g. Caucasian head hair identical to the hair of the victim was located on a sweater located in the appellant’s suitcase.

h. Approximately twelve days after Teresa Allen had been shot to death in Monroe County, Georgia, the appellant told his girl friend that he had shot or killed a girl in Georgia.

The jury had before it ample evidence to support the verdict and the trial court did not err in overruling the appellant’s motion for a directed verdict of acquittal.

Enumerations 1, 2, and 3 are without merit.

2. In Enumeration 4, the appellant alleges, "The trial court erred in denying defendant’s motion for a change of venue.”

The appellant’s motion was based on prejudicial pre-trial publicity.

When the appellant’s motion for a change of venue was heard on January 6, 1978, the trial court withheld ruling until the voir dire examination of the jurors had [263]*263been conducted.

In denying the motion for change of venue the trial court reflected that "it is the finding of the court that the jurors that were put upon the defendant in this case were impartial; that they were not influenced, or would not or will not be influenced by what they may have read or heard about the case.” The testimony of the prospective jurors supports this finding.

The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying the appellant’s motion for change of venue. Campbell v. State, 240 Ga. 352, supra; Young v. State, 239 Ga. 53 (236 SE2d 1) (1977); Wilkes v. State, 238 Ga. 57 (230 SE2d 867) (1976); Coleman v. State, 237 Ga. 84 (226 SE2d 911) (1976);Krist v. Caldwell, 230 Ga. 536 (198 SE2d 161) (1973).

3. In Enumeration 5, the appellant alleges, "The trial court erred in denying defendant’s motion to suppress evidence illegally seized.”

The evidence sought to be suppressed by the appellant was a suitcase identified as belonging to the appellant that was located in a building where the appellant had no authority to be or to store his property. The appellant was neither landlord nor tenant. Both the sometime tenant and the owner testified that the appellant had no authority to live there. The owner of the building opened the suitcase and examined the contents and then turned the suitcase with its contents over to the police.

"Probable cause and a warrant are not required for a search and seizure which is conducted pursuant to consent.” Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U. S. 218 (93 SC 2041, 36 LE2d 854); McKendree v. State, 133 Ga. App. 295, 296 (211 SE2d 154) (1974); Hall v. State, 239 Ga. 832 (238 SE2d 912) (1977). " 'When the prosecution seeks to justify a warrantless search by proof of voluntary consent, it is not limited to proof that consent was given by the defendant, but may show that permission to search was obtained from a third party who possessed common authority over or other sufficient relationship to the premises or effects sought to be inspected.’ United States v. Matlock, 415 U. S. 164, 171 (94 SC 988, 39 LE2d 242) (1974) .” Peek v. State, 239 Ga. 422, 426 (238 SE2d 12) [264]*264(1977); Hall v. State, 239 Ga. 832, supra. In addition to the valid permission given to seize the suitcase and its contents, the status of the appellant in relation to the building is such that he has no standing to challenge the search. Brown v. United States, 411 U. S. 223, 229-230 (1973).

Enumeration 5 is without merit.

4. In Enumeration 6, the appellant alleges, "The trial court erred in limiting defendant’s right to cross examine the witness Charlie Livingston on the issue of his alleged identification of the rifle, State’s Exhibit No. 6.”

The right to cross examination, thorough and sifting, shall belong to every party as to the witnesses called against him. Code Ann. § 38-1705. This right is, however, subject to limitations to prevent abuse. In a case such as this one where the question asked had already been answered and the counsel had begun to be argumentative with the witness we cannot say the trial court abused its discretion. Control of the cross examination of a witness is to a great degree within the discretion of the trial court and will not be controlled unless abused. Eades v. State, 232 Ga. 735 (208 SE2d 791) (1974); McNabb v. State, 70 Ga. App. 798 (29 SE2d 643) (1944); Sweat v. State, 63 Ga. App. 299 (11 SE2d 40) (1940).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
249 S.E.2d 1, 242 Ga. 261, 1978 Ga. LEXIS 1169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-state-ga-1978.