Bates v. State

1973 OK CR 15, 505 P.2d 991
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 10, 1973
DocketNo. A-16960
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1973 OK CR 15 (Bates v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bates v. State, 1973 OK CR 15, 505 P.2d 991 (Okla. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

BRETT, Judge.

Appellant, Willis Bates, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was convicted in the District Court of Pottawatomie County, Case No. CRF 70-207, of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after former conviction of a felony, and sentenced to a term of one to three years imprisonment. Judgment and sentence was imposed on April 2, 1971, and this perfected therefrom.

Initially, it was charged by information that the defendant did, on July 31, 1970, commit the offense of “shooting with the intent to kill” in violation of 21 O.S1971, § 652, in that the defendant did shoot one David Hodges with a .22 caliber pistol, wounding Hodges on the left leg. The second page of the information alleged ■ that the defendant had previously been convicted of two felony crimes. Subsequently, the information was amended to state that the defendant had committed the offense of “assault and battery with a deadly weapon” in violation of 21 O.S., § 652.

Briefly stated, the State’s evidence established that on the evening of July 31, 1970, Floyd Roland, David Hodges, Richard Whitman, and Lonnie Shirey were at the Chat and Nibble Bar in Pottawatomie County. These men testified that they were talking just in front of the bar when defendant left the bar and proceeded to his truck. There was some conversation between the defendant and members of the group, and three of the men approached defendant’s truck. Defendant, while seated in his truck, produced a pistol and fired three shots, one striking the ground, one hitting a window of the bar, and one striking David Hodges in the leg. According to Roland, Shirey and Hodges, defendant began shooting without provocation. Hodges testified that he believed the defendant had called to him, so Hodges went over to the defendant’s truck, whereupon he was shot by defendant. Hodges testified that he did not know the defendant previously, and had no idea as to what caused the shooting. According to the State’s witnesses, there were no threats, comments or provocation to warrant the defendant’s actions.

The defendant testified that on the night in question he went to the Chat and Nibble [993]*993Club, shot a game of pool, drank a beer with a friend, and then left in a pickup truck. According to the defendant, he talked to none of the State’s witnesses, did not know them, did not shoot anyone, and he did not have a .22 pistol. Defendant contended that the State’s witnesses were trying to frame him, and were in collusion with the Tecumseh Police Chief, with whom defendant had previously had differences.

The evidence is obviously conflicting. However, there was before the jury competent evidence from which it could conclude that the defendant was guilty as charged. When the evidence is conflicting, it is the exclusive province of the jury to resolve questions of fact, provided the elements of the offense are proven by competent evidence.

It is defendant’s first contention that the trial court erred in overruling the defendant’s motion to quash the information. Defendant contends that the information “was indefinite and uncertain and unclear as to whether said information charged the defendant with a crime under Title 21 O. S.A., § 652, or 21 O.S.A., § 645, or 21 O. S.A., 642.” Defendant cites as support, Davis v. State, Okl.Cr., 354 P.2d 466 (1960), for the proposition that an infor--mation charging a defendant with a violation of 21 O.S., § 645 or § 652, or § 653, must be sufficiently clear and direct as to advise defendant not only under what section he is charged, but the means under said section by which the crime was committed.

Initially the defendant was charged with the offense of “shooting with the intent to kill” in violation of 21 O.S., § 652. At the preliminary examination the magistrate made the following finding:

“The court then, after hearing the evidence does not find that the crime of Shooting with Intent to Kill has been committed, but instead, does find that the crime of Assault and Battery With A Deadly Weapon after prior conviction has been committed and that there is probable cause to believe the defendant, Willis Bates, is guilty thereof, we will order that he be held for trial on the charge of Assault and Battery With A Dangerous Weapon After Former Conviction.” (Emphasis added)

Title 21 O.S., § 652, provides in substance that every person who shoots another with any kind of firearm with the intent to kill, or who commits an assault and battery upon another by means of any deadly weapon, is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding twenty years. In charging a violation of Section 652, it is often said that a person is charged with “shooting with the intent to kill” or “assault and battery with a deadly weapon.”

Title 21 O.S., § 645, provides inter alia that every person who shoots at another with any kind of firearm with the intent to injure, although without the intent to kill, is punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years imprisonment. A violation of Section 645 is often stated as the offense of “assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.”

Relevant to our inquiry in the instant case, the distinction between Section 652 and Section 645, is whether the accused had the intent to kill. It would appear that the examining magistrate in making his findings, interchanged the word “deadly” with the word “dangerous.” At the conclusion of the preliminary examination the State amended its information to charge the defendant with “assault and battery with a deadly weapon,” rather than “shooting with the intent to kill.” Both of these offenses, however, states a violation of Section 652.

In the case of Davis v. State, supra, cited by the defendant, the accused was charged with striking the victim with a hard, blunt instrument. This Court found on appeal that the defendant’s motion to quash the information should have been sustained, since “it cannot be determined with what the defendant is precisely [994]*994charged, or under what statute the charge is brought.” 354 P.2d 469.

In the instant case we have examined the information on which the defendant went to trial, and are of the opinion that it sufficiently states a violation of Section 652, and that it adequately advised the defendant with the precise charge levied against him. We do not have, in the case at bar, a situation as in Davis v. State, supra, where the information was so worded that it could not be ascertained as to under what statute the charge was brought. Accordingly, we find no error with the trial court overruling the motion to quash the information.

The defendant’s second contention is that the trial court erred in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the evidence of the State. In this regard defendant argues that the information upon which the evidence was received was indefinite and uncertain; and further, that the State failed to prove every material element of the offense alleged. As stated, we are of the opinion that the information was definite and certain. Furthermore, as we have noted, there was competent evidence presented by the State to support the charge and to support a verdict of guilty. Accordingly, we find no error in the overruling of the demurrer to the evidence.

It is defendant’s third contention that the trial court erred in refusing defendant’s instruction on simple assault and battery, which upon conviction, carries a maximum punishment of thirty days in the county jail, or a fine of $100.00. 21 O.S. 1971, § 644.

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Related

Holdge v. State
1978 OK CR 116 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Terrell v. State
1974 OK CR 123 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1973 OK CR 15, 505 P.2d 991, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bates-v-state-oklacrimapp-1973.