Three defendants appeal their convictions of a total of five counts of simple battery. Held:
Defendants contend that the trial court erred in refusing to dismiss from the jury panel for cause two or more correctional officers. It has been held to be error to refuse to dismiss for cause full-time police officers because “[i]t is inherent in the nature of police duties and the closeness with which such officers are identified with criminal procedures that questions regarding possible bias, fairness, prejudice or impermissible influence upon jury deliberations inevitably arise. These questions cannot be erased by a mere subjective, albeit sincere, declaration by the officer that he or she can be fair and impartial as to a defendant.”
Hutcheson v. State,
Correctional officers possess some police powers as provided by
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regulation. See OCGA § 42-5-35 and Official Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rule 125-2-1-.09. However, such limited police powers do not necessitate the imputation of possible bias as in the instance of full-time police officers. There is no evidence that these correctional officers had ever participated in any criminal investigation or prosecution. Therefore, the case sub judice is distinguishable from
Hutcheson v. State,
Judgment affirmed.