81 Ga. App. 27 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1950
1. (a) The defendant was convicted of gambling in a game generally known as bolita. He filed his motion for a new trial on the usual general grounds and thereafter amended by adding five special grounds. The court overruled his motion and he assigns error here.
The evidence was conflicting, the State, on the one hand, contending that the defendant was in possession of bolita tickets
The evidence authorized the conviction so far as the general grounds are concerned.
(b) The first special ground complains of reversible error because the court failed to charge, upon written request, the principle of law applicable to circumstantial evidence. In view of the evidence and the entire charge of the court, this ground is without merit.
(c) The court charged the principle of law with reference to flight. It is contended that the charge on this point is incomplete, ambiguous and confusing to the jury. From the whole record this ground is without merit.
(d) The third special ground complains that the court refused to permit the jury to view the premises where the alleged crime took place after counsel for the defendant had requested such view. This was entirely a matter within the discretion of the court. See Pope v. State, 150 Ga. 703 (7) (105 S. E. 296).
(e) In the seventh special ground it is contended that the court failed to sufficiently charge on the credibility of witnesses as contained in the Code, § 38-1806. Looking to the charge as a whole, this special ground has no merit.
(f) Special ground 5 assigns error because of the following charge of the court: “The facts you get from the witnesses who testified, and from such evidence as has been introduced and admitted, and from the statement of the defendant.” Error is assigned on this charge (1) that it is incomplete and confusing and misleading, since it failed to furnish the jury with some intelligent guide by which to solve and determine the conflict in testimony which existed in the instant case; (2) that it did not properly instruct the jury on the question of the credibility of witnesses, their means of knowledge, their demeanor on the stand and other pertinent rules by which the
In conclusion, we might state that the defendant cites no authority except the Code section mentioned above, to sustain his position, except as to special ground 1. In support of this ground he cites Riley v. State, 1 Ga. App. 651 (57 S. E. 1031), Middleton v. State, 7 Ga. App. 1 (66 S. E. 22), and Code § 38-109. All the assignments of error in this case are elementary and really need no citation of authority to prove them without merit. We might add, however, that the evidence shows that the case was based on direct and not circumstantial evidence. The cases cited have no application to the facts in this case and to the charge of the court. It may be inferred from the circumstances of this case and from other cases which have recently been appealed to this court that the gambling scheme and device of bolita is running rampant in Chatham County in a manner similar to the gambling scheme and device generally known as the numbers game in other sections of the State.
The court did not err in overruling the motion for a new trial for any of the reasons assigned.
Judgment affirmed....