Wood v. State

Sep 14, 1978
56186
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Birdsong
Birdsong, Judge.

Wood was convicted of burglary. The facts, viewed most favorably toward upholding the verdict, show that Wood was apprehended ‍​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍approximately six hundred feet from the scene of a wrecked vehicle owned by an acquaintance of Wood’s. Inside the vehicle were various articles which appeared to be the same as those stolen from a local convenience store approximately one ‍​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍hour earlier. Wood, at the time of apprehension, had a recent cut on his nose, dirt in his hair, and gasoline on his clothes. This evidence, solely circumstantial in nature, was insufficient to authorize a conviction for burglary, notwithstanding ‍​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍the fact that it was not inconsistent with a theory of guilt. In order to sustain a conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence, the evidence must *233 exclude every other reasonable hypothesis save that of the guilt of the defendant. See Mealor ‍​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍v. State, 134 Ga. App. 564 (215 SE2d 272); Rutland v. State, 129 Ga. App. 313 (199 SE2d 595). Accordingly, the trial court erred in failing to direct a verdict of acquittal in favor of Wood.

Argued June 27,1978 Decided September 14, 1978. Wiggins & Camp, Daniel P. Camp, for ‍​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍appellant. William P. Lee, Jr., District Attorney, Michael G. Kam, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.

Judgment reversed.

Bell, C. J., and Shulman, J., concur.