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DUREN v. CITY OF THOMASVILLE

Supreme Court of Georgia1906-03-22
125 Ga. 1

Summary

Holding. The judgment of conviction was affirmed. The court held that evidence discovered during an unlawful search of the defendant's premises is admissible when discovered by law enforcement rather than produced by the defendant himself, and that the defendant was not entitled to a jury trial in the mayor's court.

Duren was convicted in the mayor's court of Thomasville for possessing intoxicating liquors for sale. He sought a writ of certiorari based on several alleged errors, including that he was denied a jury trial, that certain evidence was improperly admitted, and that the ordinance under which he was convicted was invalid.

The court rejected Duren's jury trial claim as meritless based on prior precedent. Regarding the admission of evidence obtained during an unlawful search of his store by the city marshal acting on the mayor's telephone order, the court held that such evidence was admissible. The court distinguished between evidence obtained through physical search of a suspect's premises—which may be admitted even if obtained unlawfully—and evidence obtained by compelling the suspect himself to produce incriminating materials, which would be inadmissible. Since the intoxicants were discovered by the marshal during his search rather than by Duren himself, the evidence was properly admitted. The ordinance validity argument was rejected because it was not raised before the trial court.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Admissibility of evidence obtained through unlawful search and seizure
  • Right to jury trial in mayor's court proceedings
  • Distinction between search of premises versus compelled self-incrimination
  • Preservation of objections for appellate review

Procedural posture

Duren appealed a conviction in the mayor's court by seeking a writ of certiorari from the superior court, which was denied, prompting this appeal.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

Beck, J.

Duren was convicted, in the mayor’s court of Thomas-ville, of having on hand for sale certain intoxicating liquors. He applied to the judge of the superior court for a writ of certiorari, alleging, that the verdict was contrary to the evidence; that the mayor erred in refusing to allow him a trial by jury, and in refusing to exclude certain evidence; and that the verdict was contrary to law, in that the ordinance under which he was convicted was void. The certiorari was denied, and Duren excepted.

There is no merit in the contention of the accused that he was entitled to be tried by a jury. Little v. Fort Valley, 123 Ga. 503 (2).

The evidence admitted over the objection of the defendant, complained of in the petition for certiorari, was the following testimony of the "city marshal, who had previously sworn that he had been informed the accused was in possession of intoxicants: “I telephoned to Mayor Roddenbery and reported the matter to him. He told me over the ’phone to take the policemen and search Mr. Duren’s [accused’s] store, and, if we found any whisky or intoxicants, to seize them and bring them to him. I went with . . two policemen and searched Mr. Duren’s store, over his protest, and found a quantity of intoxicants. It was in packages. We seized, and by order of the mayor we destroyed it. I have saved one of the bottles I seized, and have it here - [exhibiting bottle]. We had no warrant for Mr. Duren, or any other authority to search his place of business or seize his goods, except the order of the mayor over the ’phone. We did not arrest him before the search was made.” This evidence was objected to on the ground that the marshal’s information “was acquired by forcible and unlawful search of petitioner’s premises and seizure of his goods under a verbal order issued by the mayor (he being the judge of said police court the day said order was issued), for the express purpose of procuring testimony upon which to found the, charge -against petitioner and upon which to subsequently try and convict him; and upon the further ground that the same was inadmissible, because in violation of the constitution and laws of Georgia, providing that no man shall be compelled to furnish testimony upon which to convict himself.” That this evidence was admissible can not now be doubted. See the well-considered opinion in Williams v. State, 100 Ga. 511, where it was held that evidence is not inadmissible though it be “the fruits of an illegal and wrongful search and seizure.” And, as clearly pointed out in the case of Dozier v. State, 107 Ga. 710, there is a vast difference between searching the premises of one suspected of crime and seizing any evidence of guilt, and compelling the person under suspicion to himself produce the evidence upon which he could be convicted. The criterion is, who furnished or produced the evidence? If the person suspected is made to produce the incriminating evidence, -it is inadmissible. Evans v. State, 106 Ga. 519. But if his person or belongings are searched by another, although without a vestigd of authority, the evidence thus discovered may be used against him. Williams v. State, supra. There is no contention that the defendant in the instant case furnished the evidence, the undisputed testimony being that it was found by the marshal during his unlawful search. Hence we hold, that, under the repeated rulings of this court, the evidence was admissible.

The ground that the ordinance is void was not presented to the consideration of the trial court, and therefore will not be considered. Hood v. Mayor, 113 Ga. 190. The evidence warranted the verdict. Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur.