Frank Lee Williams appeals his convictions for trafficking in cocaine and violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. Williams contends the trial court erred by denying his motion for a new trial because 1 the court admitted impermissible and prejudicial hearsay evidence concerning his earlier involvement in drug activity, 2 the court erroneously overruled defense counsel’s objection to improper character evidence, and 3 Williams’ defense counsel was ineffective because he failed to renew his motion in limine to exclude improper character evidence concerning Williams’ earlier drug activity and counsel failed to impeach a prosecution witness about his knowledge that the confidential informant was unreliable. Finding no error, we affirm the trial court. Construed most strongly to support the verdict, the evidence shows that after two unsuccessful attempts, a confidential informant purchased a kilogram of cocaine from Williams. The audio recording of the two unsuccessful attempts to purchase the drug from Williams were played for the jury. At the trial, Williams’ accomplices, the confidential informant, and the agent in charge of the operation all testified about the purchase of the cocaine from Williams. An audio recording of the conversations and a video of the events also were played for the jury.
1. Williams contends the court erred by admitting impermissible and prejudicial hearsay evidence concerning his earlier involvement in drug activity. The thrust of the objection is that the trial court should have prevented the prosecution from asking the investigating officer why he targeted Williams. Williams’ counsel first made a motion in limine to prevent the prosecutor from questioning the officer why he targeted Williams so that the officer would not respond, as he did in this case, that he was investigating Williams because “I received information that Mr. Williams was involved in drug transactions.” As authorized to do, the trial court deferred ruling on the motion in limine, but expressed the view that the prosecutor could question the officer about his reasons for targeting Williams to explain the officer’s conduct.
