13 Ga. App. 68 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1913
It is alleged in the fourth ground of the amended motion for new trial that the character of the evidence is not such as would carry conviction to the minds of reasonable jurors, and "that at this particular time, owing to the prejudice which exists against the handling of liquors, juries are too willing to convict on the slightest circumstance accompanied by a paper called 'an indictment, and while it is true that this is a heinous offense, innocent, people should not be convicted of violating the prohibition laws.” This court can not know of the conditions referred to, and the contention of this ground of the motion, therefore, can only be considered as addressed to the trial judge. He has overruled it. This court can only consider the case in the light of the ordinary
Conceding, as ably argued by counsel for plaintiff in error,:,th{«i; the testimony as to the circumstances of the sale of intoxicating liquor, involved in this case, are highly improbable, still the veráict can -not for that reason be set aside. A jury may believe testimony relating to an occurrence which would ordinarily be deemed to be improbable. The first question for the jury to determiné is whether the witness testifying to these facts is credible.' if this question is settled in the affirmative, then testimony of a. witness who is unimpeached and whose testimony is uncontradicted,;by other testimony can not be affirmatively disregarded by a jury merely because it is improbable. Very frequently it is the .iinexpected which happens. Of course, the jury is not’required to believe the testimony of a witness to facts which are wholly at variance with the universal experience of mankind, or directly in' conflict with human observation as derived from the five human senses. The mere fact that the occurrence related in the testimony did not take place in the manner usual in similar occurrences is not of itself a reason why the testimony upon that subject should be arbitrarily cast aside and disregarded.
Judgment affirmed.