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Burch v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 2, 1977
233 S.E.2d 31 (Ga. Ct. App. 1977)

Opinion

53182.

SUBMITTED JANUARY 17, 1977.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 2, 1977.

Voluntary manslaughter. Fulton Superior Court. Before Judge Langford.

Louise T. Hornsby, for appellant.

Lewis R. Slaton, District Attorney, Joseph J. Drolet, Dean R. Davis, Assistant District Attorneys, for appellee.


Charged with murder, the defendant was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Held:

1. The evidence authorized the conviction. Therefore, it was not error to deny the motion for a directed verdict of acquittal. Merino v. State, 230 Ga. 604 ( 198 S.E.2d 311).

2. The court admitted the death certificate of the victim over the objection that it was hearsay. We need not decide whether it was error to admit this evidence for even if it was, the error would be harmless for the victim's death was established by other evidence to which no objection was made. Mahone v. State, 120 Ga. App. 234 ( 170 S.E.2d 48).

3. The court did not err in charging on voluntary manslaughter. The instruction was authorized by the evidence. State v. Stonaker, 236 Ga. 1, 2 ( 222 S.E.2d 354).

4. Defendant for the first time on appeal attacks the constitutionality of Code § 26-1102, the voluntary manslaughter statute. This presents nothing for consideration on appeal as the constitutionality of the statute cannot be raised for the first time in the appellate court. Robinson v. State, 226 Ga. 461 ( 175 S.E.2d 505).

Judgment affirmed. McMurray and Smith, JJ., concur.

SUBMITTED JANUARY 17, 1977 — DECIDED FEBRUARY 2, 1977.


Summaries of

Burch v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 2, 1977
233 S.E.2d 31 (Ga. Ct. App. 1977)
Case details for

Burch v. State

Case Details

Full title:BURCH v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Feb 2, 1977

Citations

233 S.E.2d 31 (Ga. Ct. App. 1977)
141 Ga. App. 173

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