Finch v. State

Defendant Jessie Finch was convicted on two counts of misdemeanor in the Clarke County State Court, and sentenced to serve 12 months, and on probation with payment of a fine of $1,000. He appealed to this court.

This case started off in a most unusual fashion. Being a state court, no grand jury was in session, but all of the jurors were traverse jurors. Before any case was tried, the trial judge left the bench, and walked down in the courtroom in front of the jurors and addressed them. His remarks were not recorded, because defendant had no prior notice of the necessity therefor nor that any…