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Roundtree v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 26, 1990
391 S.E.2d 682 (Ga. Ct. App. 1990)

Opinion

A89A2325.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 26, 1990.

Armed robbery, etc. Bulloch Superior Court. Before Judge Martin.

Allen, Brown Bruce, Michael J. Classens, for appellants.

J. Lane Johnston, District Attorney, Jack B. Williamson, Jr., Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.


Defendants were convicted of armed robbery (Count 1) and entering an automobile with intent to commit a theft (Count 2). This appeal followed. Held:

1. In their first enumeration of error, defendants contend the trial court erred in overruling a motion for mistrial. The motion was made when the district attorney questioned one of the defendants concerning the whereabouts of potential alibi witnesses. In this regard, defendants assert the motion for mistrial should have been granted because by his questions the district attorney was improperly commenting on defendants' failure to come forward with exculpatory evidence. This enumeration of error is without merit. The district attorney's questions were not improper. See generally Haas v. State, 146 Ga. App. 729, 731 (3) ( 247 S.E.2d 507). Besides, the motion for mistrial was not renewed after the trial court instructed the district attorney to abandon the challenged line of questioning. See Chandler v. State, 143 Ga. App. 608, 609 (2) ( 239 S.E.2d 158).

2. The trial court did not commit reversible error in charging the jury on the presumption of truthfulness. Coleman v. State, 189 Ga. App. 366, 367 (5) ( 375 S.E.2d 663). "Although the challenged charge should no longer be given, it is not unconstitutionally burden shifting. [Cits.]" Johncox v. State, 189 Ga. App. 188, 189 (4) ( 375 S.E.2d 139).

3. The trial court did not err in giving the jury a "dynamite" charge. No objection was made to the charge. Moreover, the charge was nearly identical to the charge approved by the Supreme Court in Spaulding v. State, 232 Ga. 411, 413 (4) ( 207 S.E.2d 43). See Jordan v. State, 172 Ga. App. 496, 499 (5) ( 323 S.E.2d 657).

Judgment affirmed. Carley, C. J., and Beasley, J., concur.

DECIDED FEBRUARY 26, 1990.


Summaries of

Roundtree v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Feb 26, 1990
391 S.E.2d 682 (Ga. Ct. App. 1990)
Case details for

Roundtree v. State

Case Details

Full title:ROUNDTREE et al. v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Feb 26, 1990

Citations

391 S.E.2d 682 (Ga. Ct. App. 1990)
194 Ga. App. 655