Drinkard v. Walker

In Drinkard v. Walker, 281 Ga. 211 (636 SE2d 530)(2006) the Supreme Court of Georgia disapproved the "actual evidence" test for determining when one offense is included in another under OCGA 16-1-6(1) and adopted in its stead the "required evidence" test. Id. at 214. Accordingly, "where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not." Id. at 215. Further, Drinkard instructed that under the "required evidence" test, "the applicable rule is that where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not." Id. at 215. "Where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not." Id. at 215. In other words, "a single act may be an offense against two statutes; and if each statute requires proof of an additional fact which the other does not, an acquittal or conviction under either statute does not exempt the defendant from prosecution and punishment under the other." Id.