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McGee v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 18, 1970
173 S.E.2d 427 (Ga. Ct. App. 1970)

Opinion

45048.

SUBMITTED JANUARY 6, 1970.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 18, 1970.

Assault with intent to murder. DeKalb Superior Court. Before Judge Dean.

Hendon Henley, E. J. Hendon, Jr., for appellant.

Richard Bell, District Attorney, Dennis F. Jones, for appellee.


1. Declarations which grew out of the main fact and were contemporaneous therewith were admissible as part of the res gestae.

2. The blood-stained coat and pictures of the victim's wounds were admissible to show the nature of the weapons used in the assault.

3. Where evidence is allowed temporarily and no subsequent objection or motion to rule out is made, the admission of the evidence is not error.

4, 5, 6. The objections to the charge are without merit.

SUBMITTED JANUARY 6, 1970 — DECIDED FEBRUARY 18, 1970.


The defendant, Ricky McGee, was indicted jointly with four other people for the offense of assault with intent to murder one William Brooks. The defendant was tried separately and the jury returned a verdict of guilty. The defendant filed a motion for a new trial which was overruled. The defendant appealed and the case is here for review.


1. Enumerations of error numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 complain of the admission of Brooks' testimony in regard to certain statements that were made by third parties out of the presence of the defendant. There was evidence that: Brooks was attacked by the defendant and the four other people named in the indictment; that the defendant held Brooks while the other four cut and struck him. The statements admitted in evidence were made during the time of the attack or nearly connected therewith. Therefore, the declarations grew out of the main fact, were contemporaneous therewith and were admissible in evidence as part of the res gestae. Hill v. State, 17 Ga. App. 294 (1) ( 86 S.E. 657); Clarke v. State, 221 Ga. 206, 210 ( 144 S.E.2d 90); Elkins v. State, 222 Ga. 746 (1) ( 152 S.E.2d 377).

2. Enumerations of error numbers 5, 7 and 8 assign as error the admission in evidence of a bloodstained coat Brooks was wearing at the time he was attacked and pictures showing the wounds he received. The nature of the wounds as well as the cuts in Brooks' coat were admissible to show the type of the weapons used in the assault. Mitchell v. State, 38 Ga. App. 360 (1) ( 144 S.E. 15); Goodwin v. State, 148 Ga. 33 (3) ( 95 S.E. 674); Vanleeward v. State, 220 Ga. 135, 140 ( 137 S.E.2d 452).

3. The 6th enumeration of error contends that the admission of Ronnie Bachelor's testimony as to the injuries he received at the scene was error. However, the trial judge's response to counsel's objection stated: "If it is not connected, the court on proper motion, will rule it out later. I will let it be in for the time being." Where evidence is allowed temporarily and no subsequent objection or motion to rule out is made the admission of the evidence is not error. Sloan v. State, 35 Ga. App. 347 (1) ( 133 S.E. 269).

4. The appellant assigns as error the following instruction to the jury: "Now, gentlemen of the jury, you are not in any way concerned with any of the named defendants except Ricky James McGee, the defendant on trial. You are not concerned with the charges as set forth in the indictment as to the other named defendants that are listed jointly with Ricky James McGee." It is argued that the charge was confusing to the jury. In addition to the above quoted charge, the court charged the jury as to what a conspiracy consisted of; that if no conspiracy were shown each person would be responsible only for his own acts; how a conspiracy could be shown; that the acts of each person in a conspiracy as to the common intent bind all, and "If you find there was no conspiracy or if there was a conspiracy and the defendant did not participate in the common intent and purpose to do what was done, or if what was done was not that which is alleged in the indictment, the anything done by any other person would not be binding upon the defendant in this case." Considering the charge as a whole the giving of the instruction objected to was not error.

5. Enumerations of error numbers 11 and 12 argue that the evidence did not authorize a charge to the jury on conspiracy. As stated above there was evidence that the defendant held Brooks while four of his companions cut and struck him. The giving of the charge was not error. Hand v. State, 90 Ga. App. 452, 456 ( 83 S.E.2d 276).

6. The remaining enumeration of error states that the trial judge erred in failing to further instruct the jury that if they found there was no conspiracy they could not convict the defendant. Considering the charge as a whole the enumeration of error is without merit.

Judgment affirmed. Bell, C. J., and Whitman, J., concur.


Summaries of

McGee v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 18, 1970
173 S.E.2d 427 (Ga. Ct. App. 1970)
Case details for

McGee v. State

Case Details

Full title:McGEE v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Feb 18, 1970

Citations

173 S.E.2d 427 (Ga. Ct. App. 1970)
173 S.E.2d 427

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