From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Smith v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 11, 1982
288 S.E.2d 304 (Ga. Ct. App. 1982)

Opinion

62897.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 11, 1982.

Drug violation. Burke Superior Court. Before Judge Fleming.

Vernon J. Neely, for appellant.

Sam B. Sibley, Jr., District Attorney, Charles R. Sheppard, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.


The defendant was indicted and convicted of two counts of selling marijuana to undercover agents who were investigating a "drug problem" at the construction site of the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant.

1. On appeal the defendant claims the trial court erred in denying his motion to quash the indictment for its failure to include the state and county of his residence. "Although the form of the indictment prescribed in [Code Ann. § 27-701] contains an averment of residence of the defendant, the omission of such averment in an indictment will not be ground for quashing the indictment. . . ." Tarver v. State, 123 Ga. 494 (1) ( 51 S.E. 501) (1905).

2. The defendant claims the state failed to establish the chain of custody of the marijuana evidence contained in State's Exhibits Nos. 1 and 2. Concerning State's Exhibit No. 1, GBI Agent Purvis testified at trial that he turned the evidence over to Mr. Theisen, an employee at the State Crime Laboratory, on August 28, 1980 and that a laboratory number was affixed to it. Mr. Sheppo, the director of the laboratory testified that the "parcel of evidence was brought to me at the crime laboratory in August by Agent Preston Purvis" on August 28, 1980.

The difference, if any, in the testimony of these two witnesses concerning the chain of custody presents an issue for jury resolution. The fact that the testimony of the state's witnesses does not agree in all details goes to its weight but does not affect the admissibility of the evidence. See Marshall v. State, 153 Ga. App. 198 (3) ( 264 S.E.2d 718) (1980); Miceli v. State, 144 Ga. App. 842 ( 242 S.E.2d 751) (1978).

3. It is not error for the trial court in the absence of a written request to fail to charge that a jury verdict must be unanimous. Gainer v. State, 142 Ga. App. 871 (2) ( 237 S.E.2d 235) (1967).

4. The court properly charged the jury on reasonable doubt and did not err in failing to charge with reference to the mistaken identification of the defendant. Young v. State, 226 Ga. 553 (7) ( 176 S.E.2d 52) (1970); Colbert v. State, 149 Ga. App. 266 (5) ( 253 S.E.2d 882) (1979).

5. Examination of the record does not establish that defense counsel was ineffective. Scott v. State, 157 Ga. App. 608 ( 278 S.E.2d 49) (1981); Rosser v. State, 156 Ga. App. 463 (4) ( 274 S.E.2d 812) (1980).

Judgment affirmed. Quillian, C. J., and McMurray, P. J., concur.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 11, 1982.


Summaries of

Smith v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 11, 1982
288 S.E.2d 304 (Ga. Ct. App. 1982)
Case details for

Smith v. State

Case Details

Full title:SMITH v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Feb 11, 1982

Citations

288 S.E.2d 304 (Ga. Ct. App. 1982)
288 S.E.2d 304

Citing Cases

Woods v. State

The court fully instructed the jury as to each element of the offenses of which defendant was charged, the…

Pyburn v. State

Kates, supra. As to the conflict in the State's evidence concerning the color of the toboggan worn by the…