Grindle v. State

Ellington, Judge.

A Gwinnett County jury found Paul Grindle guilty of robbery, OCGA § 16-8-40 (a); aggravated battery, OCGA § 16-5-24 (a); and battery, OCGA § 16-5-23.1 (a). Pursuant to a granted motion for an out-of-time appeal, Grindle contends his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the hearsay testimony of an accomplice who identified him as the robber. Grindle also contends that, absent this inadmissible hearsay, the evidence adduced was insufficient to prove him guilty of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt. For the reasons that follow, we reverse based on a…