Massey v. State

Nov 28, 1972
47495
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Stolz
Stolz, Judge.

Defendant was charged with the offense of driving under the influence. On the day before the trial, defendant’s counsel ‍​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‍requested that a court reporter be present to make a record of the trial. None was available. When the case was called for trial, defendant’s counsel made a motion for continuance on the ground that no court reporter was ‍​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‍present to report the case. The trial court overruled defendant’s motion. The case proceeded to trial and resulted in defendant’s conviction of the offense charged. Held:

“In all cases, civil or criminal, any party may as a matter of right have the case reported ‍​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‍at his own expense.” (Emphasis supplied.) Code Ann. § 6-805 (j) (Ga. L. 1965, pp. 18, 24). Further, it is the duty of the judge to appoint a court reporter and it is the duty of the court reporter to attend all ‍​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‍sessions of the court. Code § 24-3102 (Ga. L. 1876, p. 133; 1894, p. 53; 1914, p. 59). For the foregoing reasons, the trial judge erred in overruling defendant’s motion for continuance and the case must be reversed.

Judgment reversed.

Bell, C. J., and ‍​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‍Evans, J., concur. *639 Argued September 7, 1972 Decided November 28, 1972. Carl P. Savage, Jr., for appellant. Walter S. Chew, Jr., Solicitor pro tem, for appellee.