Hinson v. Hooks

Oct 7, 1921
12243
Reporters:
,
Before:
Bloodworth
Bloodworth, J.

It is well settled that when a judge undertakes to charge the law ‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍upon any subject, he must charge all of it upon that subject that is material and applicable to the case. Rouse v. State, 2 Ga. App. 184 (58 S. E. 416); Harper v. State, 17 Ga. App. 561 ‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍(2) (106 S. E. 875). Upon the controlling issue in this case the plaintiff introduced a single witness and the defendant several witnesses. Therefore, when the court ‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍gave in charge to the jury a part of section 5732 of the Civil Code (1910), as to how the preponderance of evidence is determined, it was ‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍harmful error against the defendant to omit that part of the section which provides that “ the jury may also consider the number of witnesses, though the preponderance ‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍is not necessarily with the greater number.”

Judgment reversed.

Broyles, C. J., and Luke, J., concur.