Lovell v. State

375 S.E.2d 658, 189 Ga. App. 311, 1988 Ga. App. LEXIS 1383
Court of Appeals of Georgia·Decided November 16, 1988·No. 77327, 77328·Published·Cited by 27 cases

Opinion

Sognier, Judge.

Ralph Lovell and Danny Shook were convicted in a joint trial of two counts of criminal damage to property in the second degree, aggravated assault, and public drunkenness. In addition, Lovell was convicted of criminal trespass, and Shook was convicted of a third count of criminal damage to property in the second degree. Both appeal.

The record reveals that on the night of November 7, 1987, appellants and Virginia Seppala entered a package store in Towns County, where Shook and Seppala attacked store clerk Tim Ivey, the son of the proprietor of the store. Ivey testified that Shook and Seppala hit him both with their hands and with a desk telephone, but that he was able to run outside to the VFW, about 500 feet away, to get his father, Jerry Ivey, who testified that when Tim reached him, he had a black eye and his face was bruised. The elder Ivey also testified that he hurried back to the package store, and as he approached it he saw Shook run out and get into a car. He took Shook back into the store, and, upon entering the premises with Shook, saw Lovell and Seppala throwing merchandise on the floor and knocking things around. He testified there were broken beer bottles, spilled beer and snack packages as well as large jars of sausages and eggs all over the floor, and the cash register and a radio had been thrown down and damaged. He testified the damage was in excess of $500. The authorities were called, and Deputy Sheriff Ronald Thacker testified at trial that appellants were “loud and boisterous and had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage” on their breaths. The tires on Ivey’s vehicle, which was parked outside the store, had been slashed. A yellow case knife was recovered from Lovell, and Richard Ernest, a Senior Firearms Examiner at the State Crime Laboratory, testified that the cut marks in the tires were made by that knife. Seppala pled guilty and is not involved in these appeals.

Debra Barrett and Susan Shook testified to separate incidents, on the same day, in which their cars were vandalized. Barrett testified that her car seats were broken, the tires slashed, and the windows broken and that Shook had subsequently offered her “restitution” for the damage, which she testified was in excess of $500. Susan Shook testified that on that date, when she returned from an errand, she found her car tires slashed. She testified the damage was less than $500. Her daughter, who had been home while her mother was out, testified that she had seen Lovell slash the tires.

1. Appellants contend the trial court erred by charging the jury as to parties to a crime as well as on conspiracy. We note, however, *312 that the trial court specifically asked each counsel in turn whether there were any exceptions to the charge, and appellant Shook did not object to the charges, nor did he reserve objections. “The general rule is that a defendant in a criminal case is not required to except to a jury charge to preserve error for appeal. If however the trial court expressly asks if there is objection, this requires counsel to make objection or reserve his right to do so. The failure either to object or to reserve the right to object later raises a procedural default which bars subsequent appellate review of the charge. [Cit.]” Rann v. State, 183 Ga. App. 234, 236 (358 SE2d 644) (1987). Appellant Shook may not, therefore, raise this objection now.

Appellant Lovell argues, without citation to authority, that giving the charge on conspiracy in this case, when the appellants were charged only with completed acts and the charge on parties to a crime was given, overemphasized the fact that there were multiple defendants and confused the jury into believing that the burden of proof on the State was lessened. We do not agree. First, both charges were authorized. Although “[t]he indictment in this case did not allege the existence of a conspiracy between appellant [Lovell] and the other coindictees . . . , ‘ “[i]t has been repeatedly held by this court that a conspiracy may be proved, though not alleged in the indictment or accusation. [Cits.]” [Cit.]’ [Cit.] . . . ‘ “When individuals associate themselves together to do an unlawful act, any act done in pursuance of that association, by any one of the associates would, in legal contemplation, be the act of each of them.” [Cits.]’ [Cit.] Thus, the evidence authorized a charge on the law of conspiracy, and the trial court so charged.” Hart v. State, 185 Ga. App. 141 (1) (363 SE2d 599) (1987). “[W]here the evidence in a criminal case shows that two or more persons were concerned in the commission of an alleged crime, it is not harmful error for the trial court to charge [as to parties to a crime] or to charge the jury on the law of conspiracy.” Battle v. State, 231 Ga. 501-502 (202 SE2d 449) (1973).

Second, “ *[i]t is not necessary in considering a charge to assume a possible adverse construction, but a charge that is sufficiently clear to be understood by jurors of ordinary understanding is all that is required. [Cit.]’ [Cit.]” Turner v. State, 180 Ga. App. 141, 142 (348 SE2d 572) (1986). Appellant has shown nothing in the charges given which might not be understood by jurors of ordinary understanding, nor do we find any such confusing matter in the charges given. Accordingly, we find no error in these charges.

2. In Case No. 77327, appellant Lovell contends the trial court erred by charging the jury regarding voluntary intoxication as a defense because neither Lovell nor Shook testified or otherwise raised voluntary intoxication as a defense. However, there was evidence that both appellants were intoxicated, which was sufficient to authorize *313 the jury to convict appellants on Count 4, public drunkenness, and there was no evidence that their intoxication was not voluntary. “Where there is any evidence, however slight, upon a particular point, it is not error to charge the law in relation to that issue. [Cit.] Hence, the trial court did not err by charging the jury on [voluntary intoxication as a defense.]” Johnson v. State, 185 Ga. App. 505, 506 (1) (364 SE2d 893) (1988).

3. Lovell’s final enumeration of error is that the evidence was insufficient to support the trial court’s finding of the amount of restitution. We find merit in this enumeration.

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Lovell v. State, 375 S.E.2d 658, 189 Ga. App. 311, 1988 Ga. App. LEXIS 1383 (Ga. Ct. App. 1988).

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