Pritchard v. State

Nov 9, 1970
45542
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Bell
Bell, Chief Judge.

Appellant was convicted of burglary (Count 1). At trial he submitted ‍‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍evidence of alibi. The trial court gave the jury an instruction that the burden was on the defendant to establish his alibi by a preponderance of ‍‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍the evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the jury. A charge on alibi substan *781 tially the same as this one was held to be harmful error in Parham ‍‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍v. State, 120 Ga. App. 723 (171 SE2d 911). The recent case of Thornton v. State, 226 Ga. 837, infers that an instruction which shifts the burden of proof ‍‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍to the defendant to prove alibi by a preponderance of the evidence is harmful and constitutes reversible error.

Argued September 8, 1970 Decided November 9, 1970. Scott & Alexander, Guy B. ‍‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Scott, Jr., for appellant. Thomas W. Ridgway, District Attorney, for appellee.

Judgment reversed.

Quillian and Whitman, JJ., concur.