State v. Newton

Benham, Justice.

We granted the State’s petition for a writ of certiorari to consider a matter of first impression. As summarized by the Court of Appeals in Newton v. State, 319 Ga. App. 494 (736 SE2d 752) (2012), the facts are as follows:

David Allen Newton was tried by a jury and convicted of burglary, theft by taking, and first degree forgery for taking jewelry while touring a home that he claimed he was interested in purchasing and using a fictitious name on a brokerage agreement. He was sentenced to twenty years for burglary, ten years for theft by taking to run concurrently with the…