118 Ga. App. 570 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1968
The defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction and sentence for selling tax-paid whiskey in violation of law. Held:
1. The demurrer to the accusation to the effect that the accusation fails to state an offense, and that both the accusation and the statute on which it is based are too indefinite, is without merit. The accusation charges the defendant with
2. No harmful error is shown by the instructions, in referring to the defendant’s unsworn statement, that “you would be authorized to accept the whole of it or any part of it, in preference to the sworn testimony, if you believe it to be the truth.” See Mason v. State, 97 Ga. 388 (23 SE 831). While the statute as amended (Ga. L. 1962, pp. 133, 134; Code Ann. § 38-415) expressly forbids any comment on the failure of an accused to be sworn and testify as witness, the statement as here shown is in substance nothing more than the standard provided in the statute for the jury to follow in considering an unsworn statement, plus the addition of “if you believe it to be the truth” which is implicit from the language of the statute. To believe is to give credence to as true. Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary (2d Ed.) unabridged. In those cases where the defendant does elect to make an unsworn statement we think it proper for the court to confine instructions strictly to the substance of the first three sentences of the statute (Code § 38-415 as amended in 1962) as well as instructions, but onfy if there is an issue, on the defendant’s right to decline to answer any questions on cross examination. The Crowe cases, 117 Ga. App. 598 (161 SE2d 512) and 117 Ga. App. 648 (161
3. The remaining enumerations are without merit.
Judgment affirmed.