Poythress v. State

Feb 12, 1957
36574
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Carlisle
Carlisle, J.

A conviction may be had upon a free and volununtary confession ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍corroborated only by proof of the corpus delicti (Owen v. State, 119 Ga. 304, 46 S. E. 433; Daniel v. State, 63 Ga. 339; Paul v. State, 65 Ga. 152; Williams v. State, 69 Ga. 11; Westbrook v. State, 91 Ga. 11, 16 S. E. 100); and, where, upon the trial of one charged ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍with the possession of non-tax-paid whisky, it appears from the evidence that police officers found some five and one-half pints of non-tax-paid liquor ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍in the defendant’s home, and that the defendant freely and voluntarily confessed that the non-tax-paid liquor belonged to him, the jury is authorized ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍to find him guilty as charged, and the trial court does not err in denying such defendant’s motion for new trial based ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍solely on the general grounds.

Judgment affirmed.

Gardner, P. J., and Townsend, J., concur.