Jones v. State

360 S.E.2d 599, 184 Ga. App. 4, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 2125
Court of Appeals of Georgia·Decided April 29, 1987·No. 73956·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinions

McMurray, Presiding Judge.

Defendant was convicted of selling more than one ounce of marijuana and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime. He appeals. Held:

1. Defendant contends the trial court erred by overruling his motion for a directed verdict of acquittal upon the possession of a firearm count. In this regard, he contends the evidence was insufficient to enable any rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he had a firearm on his person when the marijuana was sold. OCGA § 16-11-106 (b); Beal v. State, 175 Ga. App. 234, 238 (4) (333 SE2d 103). We agree. Evidence that, shortly after the marijuana transaction, a pistol was found in a truck in which defendant was riding is insufficient, in and of itself, to support a finding that defendant had a pistol on his person when the marijuana transaction was consummated. Beal v. State, supra. Compare Teague v. State, 165 Ga. App. 470 (1) (301 SE2d 667). This is especially so since the truck was occupied by three persons and evidence of defendant’s proximity to the pistol was lacking.

The State’s contention that a recorded conversation between defendant and the buyer demonstrates that defendant did have a pistol on his person at the time in question is not supported by the record. A review of the transcript of the conversation makes it clear that the buyer’s allusion to a pistol concerned a previous meeting which took place between defendant and the buyer; it did not concern the marijuana transaction in question. Moreover, the transcript of the conversation was excluded from evidence by the trial court.

The trial court erred in denying defendant’s motion for a directed verdict of acquittal upon the possession of a firearm count.

2. Next, the defendant contends the trial court erred by failing to disqualify a juror, Ms. Driggers, for cause. Ms. Driggers is the daughter of deputy sheriff Ted Parkerson, one of the arresting officers in the case. Parkerson was listed as a potential witness for the State, but he was not called to the witness stand by the prosecution.

During voir dire, defense counsel asked Ms. Driggers whether she would be influenced by the fact that her father was interested in getting a conviction. She responded that she could “be open.” The voir dire continued as follows: “[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: But that wouldn’t influence you? It would influence you, wouldn’t it? MS. DRIGGERS: (nods affirmatively). [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: And if your daddy was interested in a conviction you would lean a little bit toward his side of the case, wouldn’t you? Honestly now. MS. DRIG-GERS: Yes.”

Thereupon, the assistant district attorney questioned Ms. Drig[5] gers: “[T]he bottom line is not which way you are leaning, it is whether you can be fair and listen to the evidence with an open mind. Do you think you would be able to do that? MS. DRIGGERS: Yes. [ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY]: Now the Judge would give you an oath that you would have to swear, like you had to swear before, when everyone had to take the oath to answer these questions honestly, and that oath is that you would be a fair and impartial juror and that you would follow the instructions of the Court, and he would give you the instruction that you were to base your decision solely on the evidence, laying aside all the facts that you’ve heard, or the fact that your father may testify as a witness. With that in mind do you think you could be a fair and impartial juror and not lean one way or the other? MS. DRIGGERS: Yes.”

Ms. Driggers responded to further questioning by defense counsel as follows: “I would tend to lean towards my father, naturally, but I can — I don’t know anything of the case. He doesn’t discuss any of them with me. And I could give an honest and fair answer. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: You would consider it honest and fair to return the verdict [your] father wanted, wouldn’t you? MS. DRIGGERS: Yes. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Tell me, do you understand the meaning of the word bias? What do you understand bias to mean? MS. DRIGGERS: That I will not go completely . . . [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I don’t know what you mean by go completely. But let me explain, if I may. A bias is simply a leaning one way or the other. If it is not absolutely perpendicular, absolutely straight up and down in the middle, if it leans one way or the other, it is biased. See what I mean? MS. DRIGGERS: Yes. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Now if your father is Deputy Sheriff and if your father is a witness in the case, wouldn’t it honestly be true that there is some bias on your mind in favor of the State in the case? MS. DRIGGERS: Yes, sir.”

After a bench conference, the trial court questioned Ms. Driggers: “THE COURT: Ms. Driggers, let me take one last shot at you. I understand that Deputy Parkerson is your father. Notwithstanding that fact, if you are selected to serve on this jury, can you return a fair and impartial verdict based solely on the evidence produced before you and the law as given you in charge by the Judge? Yes or no. MS. DRIGGERS: Yes, sir.” Thereupon, the trial court concluded that Ms. Driggers was qualified.

Upon the conclusion of voir dire, the jury was selected. Defendant used all of his peremptory strikes. Nevertheless, Ms. Driggers was impaneled as a juror.

“Challenges are of two types, to the array and to the poll. Challenges to the poll, the individual juror, are either peremptory or for cause. Challenges for cause are made in one of two forms — for principal cause or for favor. Principal cause is disqualification based on [6] the grounds enumerated in OCGA § 15-12-163, i.e., the juror is not a citizen, is under 18 years of age, is incompetent because of mental illness, retardation or intoxication, or is so near in kinship to the prosecutor or accused as to disqualify him. Jordan v. State, 247 Ga. 328, 338 (276 SE2d 224). Challenges for favor, in a criminal case, are based on admission by the juror that he is biased for or against one of the parties, in response to questions authorized by OCGA § 15-12-164, i.e., whether the juror has formed and expressed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, has prejudice or bias for or against the accused, is perfectly impartial between the state and the accused, and in capital felony cases is not conscientiously opposed to capital punishment.” Harris v. State, 178 Ga. App. 735, 736 (344 SE2d 528).

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Jones v. State, 360 S.E.2d 599, 184 Ga. App. 4, 1987 Ga. App. LEXIS 2125 (Ga. Ct. App. 1987).

360 S.E.2d 599 (Jones v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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Jones v. State
360 S.E.2d 599 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1987)