From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Hawkins v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Dec 5, 1967
159 S.E.2d 440 (Ga. Ct. App. 1967)

Opinion

43219.

ARGUED NOVEMBER 8, 1967.

DECIDED DECEMBER 5, 1967.

Operating a vehicle in excess of weight limit. Twiggs Superior Court. Before Judge Ward.

Billy L. Evans, for appellant.

Arthur K. Bolton, Attorney General, Richard L. Chambers, Marion O. Gordon, Assistant Attorneys General, W. W. Larsen, Solicitor General, for appellee.


Section 13 of an Act of 1966 (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 567, 571; Code Ann. § 27-313) makes no provision for pre-trial suppression of evidence deemed illegal for reasons other than unlawful search and seizure.

ARGUED NOVEMBER 8, 1967 — DECIDED DECEMBER 5, 1967.


Defendant was convicted of operating on a public highway a motor vehicle in excess of the maximum gross weight permitted by an Act of 1941 as amended. See Ga. L. 1941, p. 449; 1951, p. 772; 1955, p. 392; 1956, p. 83; 1959, p. 27; 1964, p. 83; 1965, p. 206 ( Code Ann. § 68-405). On this appeal all enumerations of error relate to the overruling of defendant's oral motion, voiced on arraignment, to suppress evidence obtained by an agent of the State Highway Department by forcing defendant to submit to weighing the vehicle.


Section 13 of an Act of 1966 (Ga. L. 1966, pp. 567, 571; Code Ann. § 27-313) makes no provision for pre-trial suppression of evidence deemed illegal for reasons other than unlawful search and seizure. Norrell v. State, 116 Ga. App. 479 (3) ( 157 S.E.2d 784). By its clear terms, Section 13 furnishes a procedural device for the protection of constitutional guaranties against unreasonable search and seizure only. The protection of other rights which might have been violated by a transaction is merely coincidental. A single transaction may amount to a concurrent violation of constitutional guaranties against unreasonable search and seizure and constitutional guaranties against compulsory self-incrimination. See Hammock v. State, 1 Ga. App. 126, 127 ( 58 S.E. 66). Thus evidence obtained by compulsory self-incrimination might be subject to suppression pursuant to a pre-trial motion under the 1966 Act. However, the basis for suppression is that the evidence was obtained by unlawful search and seizure, not that it was obtained by compulsory self-incrimination.

To be valid, an objection to evidence based on grounds other than unlawful search and seizure must be voiced at the time the evidence is actually offered. See Sides v. State, 213 Ga. 482, 487 (5) ( 99 S.E.2d 884); Jackson v. State, 108 Ga. App. 529 ( 133 S.E.2d 436); Smith v. State, 116 Ga. App. 45, 48 ( 156 S.E.2d 380). Defendant's redundant enumeration of errors, while alleging in variety that the court erred in overruling the pre-trial motion to suppress, utterly failed to allege as a distinct ground of any enumeration that the court erred in admitting the evidence over objection voiced when the evidence was offered.

The pre-trial motion contended merely that the evidence as to the weight of the vehicle was illegal because defendant was compelled to incriminate himself when ordered to drive the vehicle onto the scales. The motion failed to state any of the grounds provided by Section 13 (a) of the Act of 1966, and made no claim that the transaction was a violation of constitutional guaranties against unreasonable search and seizure either because of the manner in which the weighing was accomplished or for any other reason.

The court properly overruled defendant's pre-trial motion to suppress.

It is unnecessary for us to decide whether the motion to suppress was defective since it was made orally even though stipulated that it be treated as if filed in writing. Under Section 13 (b) of the Act of 1966, a motion to suppress evidence must be in writing. Code Ann. § 27-313 (b); Brannen v. State, 117 Ga. App. 68. In this connection see Code § 24-3340 (Superior Court Rule 40).

Judgment affirmed. Pannell and Whitman, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Hawkins v. State

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Dec 5, 1967
159 S.E.2d 440 (Ga. Ct. App. 1967)
Case details for

Hawkins v. State

Case Details

Full title:HAWKINS v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Dec 5, 1967

Citations

159 S.E.2d 440 (Ga. Ct. App. 1967)
159 S.E.2d 440

Citing Cases

State v. Johnston

Having concluded that the results of a "breath" test not preceded by an appropriate warning are inadmissible…

State v. Johnston

" "By its clear terms, [Code Ann. § 27-313] furnishes a procedural device for the protection of…