White v. State

Ruffin, Presiding Judge.

A jury found Karen Denise White guilty of theft by shoplifting. Pursuant to OCGA § 16-8-14 (b) (1) (C), the trial court sentenced her as a recidivist to seven years imprisonment. White appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in reading the indictment to the jury without redacting improper character evidence, permitting irrelevant testimony, and failing to exercise its discretion in sentencing. For reasons that follow, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

Viewed favorably to the verdict, 2 the evidence shows that, on June 7, 2000, the general manager of an Old Navy…