Pettyfoot v. State

Nov 9, 1909
2113
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Russell
Russell, J.

Under the law of this State (Civil Code, § 4334, Penal Code, § 1032) it ‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍is reversible error for a judge of the superior court, in his charge to the jury, either to express or intimate an opinion as to what has ‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍or has not been proved. To designate a given witness as one relied upon by the State, and “who claims to have bought it” (referring to intoxicating ‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍liquor), is at least an intimation of an opinion as to what has been testified. Edwards v. State, 4 Ga. App. 167 (60 S. E. 1033), and cit. Eor the ‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍judge in his charge to state to the jury what any witness has testified is a violation of the rule prescribed by the statute. Judgment reversed.

Argued October 6, Decided ‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍November 9, 1909. H. A. King, Sidney D. Dell, for plaintiff in error. J. H. Thomas, solicitor-general, contra.