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Davis v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Jul 2, 1980
270 S.E.2d 406 (Ga. Ct. App. 1980)

Opinion

59729.

SUBMITTED APRIL 7, 1980.

DECIDED JULY 2, 1980.

Arson. Crisp Superior Court. Before Judge Gregory.

A. Frank Grimsley, for appellant.

Gary C. Christy, District Attorney, for appellee.


Davis appeals the trial court's denial of his motion for new trial, following his conviction for arson in the second degree. The particulars of the offense are that Davis burned a laundromat owned and operated by Detective Williams of the City of Cordele. Detective Williams conducted his own investigation of the matter; the arrest warrant was issued by a justice of the peace who was also an antique dealer and a police dispatcher. Held:

1. It is alleged on appeal that the conviction should be overturned and a new trial granted because the arrest warrant was issued and obtained in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, in that it was not issued by a "neutral and detached" magistrate. Appellant cites Shadwick v. City of Tampa, 407 U.S. 345 (92 SC 2119, 32 L.Ed.2d 783), for its holding that the magistrate issuing the warrant must be severed from and disengaged from activities of law enforcement to be neutral and detached; and Baggett v. State, 132 Ga. App. 266 ( 208 S.E.2d 23) which adopts the per se disqualification of persons with law enforcement associations as "neutral and detached" magistrates, and applies the "per se rules" of Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (91 SC 2022, 29 L.Ed.2d 564) and Hawkins v. State, 130 Ga. App. 426 ( 203 S.E.2d 622) to police dispatchers. However, assuming the arrest was illegal under Baggett, supra, that is not sufficient cause to set aside the subsequent and error-free conviction. Seabolt v. Hopper, 240 Ga. 171 ( 240 S.E.2d 57).

2. It was not error to deny motion for new trial made on the grounds that appellant was denied a right to a preliminary hearing. State v. Middlebrooks, 236 Ga. 52 ( 222 S.E.2d 343).

Judgment affirmed. Deen, C. J., and Sognier, J., concur.

SUBMITTED APRIL 7, 1980 — DECIDED JULY 2, 1980.


Summaries of

Davis v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Jul 2, 1980
270 S.E.2d 406 (Ga. Ct. App. 1980)
Case details for

Davis v. State

Case Details

Full title:DAVIS v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Jul 2, 1980

Citations

270 S.E.2d 406 (Ga. Ct. App. 1980)
270 S.E.2d 406