Murphy v. State

247 S.E.2d 186, 146 Ga. App. 721, 1978 Ga. App. LEXIS 2522
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedJune 27, 1978
Docket55692
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 247 S.E.2d 186 (Murphy 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
Murphy v. State, 247 S.E.2d 186, 146 Ga. App. 721, 1978 Ga. App. LEXIS 2522 (Ga. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

McMurray, Judge.

Defendant Murphy and one Lacy were indicted for multiple offenses of burglary and aggravated assault. The cases were separated for trial, and we are concerned here only with defendant Murphy.

At trial, the state’s evidence was that in the early morning hours of December 5, 1976, Gandy, a police officer with the City of LaFayette, "Walker County, Georgia, was patrolling the city, when at approximately 3:18 a.m. he noticed a black over red 1968 Ford automobile suspiciously parked in front of Hammond *722 Jones Hardware Store on North Main Street. Having decided to investigate Gandy checked by radio with a part-time police officer who worked as a door checker to determine if the car had been in that location earlier. Gandy was advised that the automobile had not been there one-half hour earlier. Gandy returned to the hardware store as the Ford was leaving. The Ford headed north on Highway 27 and Gandy followed, informing his dispatcher of his action and of the description of the car, along with its tag number. Two minutes later Gandy was informed by the dispatcher that the silent alarm at Hammond Jones Hardware Store had gone off. Gandy contacted another patrol unit being operated by Sgt. Richardson and Officer Bates and informed them of his location and that he was going to attempt to stop the Ford. Gandy turned on his blue lights and siren, but the Ford occupied by two unidentified suspects increased speed and continued north on Highway 27. Gandy pursued the vehicle and the other patrol unit operated by Richardson and Bates joined in the chase. The patrol car occupied by Richardson and Bates was faster than Gandy’s and they soon passed Gandy as the pursuit continued at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The Ford automobile being pursued "bootlegged” (to spin around) and started back south on Highway 27. The pursuit continued and Richardson instructed Bates to fire warning shots into the air, which he did. The passenger in the pursued vehicle fired back, some fifty to sixty times in all, and after some exchange of gunfire, Richardson, the driver of the car which he and Bates occupied, was shot in the chest. Richardson and Bates brought their patrol car safely to a halt despite Richardson’s wound, but they were out of the chase.

Price, a Dade County deputy sheriff, was informed of the chase by radio and instructed to establish surveillance of the intersection of Highway 143 and Highway 157 near Trenton, Georgia. While parked on the side of the road at this location the Ford drove past. Price immediately turned on his blue lights and followed the Ford in order to stop it, but the Ford accelerated, and another high speed pursuit in excess of 100 mph ensued. The driver of the Ford lost control and wrecked. Price went over to the car and arrested Lacy, who was sitting behind the steering *723 wheel. At that time, there was no other occupant in trie Ford.

Other law enforcement officers arrived on the scene including Brown of the Walker County Sheriffs Department, who took possession of the contents of the car, an assortment of approximately thirty firearms, including hand guns, shotguns and a rifle, and proceeded to LaFayette with Lacy in his custody.

Hopkins was another Walker County deputy who was dispatched to the scene of the wreck. He testified that when he arrived several other officers were there conversing at the scene of the wreck when Murphy walked up to them and informed the officers: "Well, there is no need for the bloodhounds. . . I’m the other man you’re looking for.” Murphy was placed under arrest and transported to the Walker County jail Adhere he was questioned by investigators Haskitt arid ^Visage of the Walker County Sheriffs Department. In the course of interrogation Murphy admitted being in the automobile during the chase, and that prior to the chase he had participated in breaking into a hardware store in LaFayette.

A crime laboratory expert testified that defendant’s fingerprints had been found on a .22 caliber pistol taken from the black over red Ford and that his fingerprints had been found on the outside right front vent window and left fender of the car. Another crime laboratory expert testified that the bullet which had wounded Richardson was fired by one of the hand guns found in the Ford.

The court charged the jury on one burglary count and two counts of aggravated assault. The jury returned a verdict of guilty as to all three of these offenses. Defendant appeals. Held:

1. The statement by defendant to Hopkins and the other officers within hearing distance that he Was the other man they were looking for falls under the admission against interest exception to the hearsay rule and was properly admitted. Defendant’s contention that, the admission was improperly admitted because not a part of the res gestae is not meritorious. Graham v. State. 125 Ga. 48 (1) (53 SE 816).

2. A Jackson v. Denno (378 U. S. 368 (84 SC 1774, *724 12 LE2d 908)) hearing was held outside the presence of the jury to determine the voluntariness of defendant’s statements to law enforcement officers after he was taken into custody. Defendant’s Enumerations 2, 3 and 7 contend the refusal of the trial court to consider the evidence of alleged physical abuse of Murphy, occurring subsequent to his statements, was error. Although this court abhors any physical abuse of prisoners as alleged by the proffered evidence, we must note that the alleged incident of alleged physical abuse purportedly occurred some two months after defendant’s statements, the voluntariness of which were the subject of consideration at the Jackson v. Denno hearing. We can find no manner in which such subsequent physical abuse might be relevant to the issue before the court on the Jackson v. Denno hearing. An irrelevant or immaterial line of inquiry may be curtailed. Decker v. State, 139 Ga. App. 707, 708 (2) (229 SE2d 520).

3. Defendant’s 4th, 5th and 6th enumerations of error complain of error in the admission into evidence of the oral statements Murphy made to law enforcement officers during their questioning of him, and the admission into evidence of a waiver of rights form signed by defendant before the questioning. There was evidence at the Jackson v. Denno hearing that defendant was fully advised of his constitutional rights before any questions were asked of him, as required by Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (86 SC 1602, 16 LE2d 694), and that no physical threats, acts of violence or promises of reward were used to induce Murphy to make his statements to law enforcement officers. There is conflicting evidence, but on a Jackson v. Denno hearing the trial court is the trier of fact and there was evidence sufficient to support the trial judge’s conclusion that Murphy’s statements were made with knowledge of his constitutional rights, freely and voluntarily without fear of personal injury or promise of reward. Howard v. State, 141 Ga. App. 238 (1) (233 SE2d 58); Johnson v. State, 233 Ga. 58 (209 SE2d 629); Lego v. Twomey, 404 U. S. 477 (92 SC 619, 30 LE2d 618).

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Bluebook (online)
247 S.E.2d 186, 146 Ga. App. 721, 1978 Ga. App. LEXIS 2522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murphy-v-state-gactapp-1978.