Brown v. State

369 So. 2d 56
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama·Decided March 27, 1979·No. 1 Div. 935·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

CLARK, Retired Circuit Judge.

Appellant-defendant was indicted for murder in the first degree of Clarence Carson “by shooting him with a pistol.” He was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to imprisonment for fifteen years.

No contention is made that the evidence was not sufficient to justify the verdict, and our review of the record convinces us that there is no reasonable basis for such a contention. It is another case of an estrangement between a man and his wife, he having lived separate and apart from her; and another man, the alleged victim, having commenced living with her, where defendant would recently visit chiefly to see his children. The only surviving eyewitnesses to the killing of Carson were the defendant and defendant’s wife. She testified that as she and Carson returned from the Elks Lodge, where Carson was playing in a band, at about 4:00 A.M. and were in the process of entering the house where they were living, defendant appeared with a pistol in his right hand and shot Carson in the back of his head with one shot that, according to the undisputed evidence, caused his immediate death.

Defendant’s explanation was to the effect that he had been threatened by Carson; that he was afraid of Carson; that he was concerned about his children living in the same house as Carson and defendant’s wife; that he approached Carson and his wife with caution; that he hit Carson with his pistol and the pistol went off; that he did not intend to kill Carson or to shoot.

Charge No. 7, requested in writing by defendant and refused by the trial court, was as follows:

“If you have a reasonable doubt of defendant’s guilt growing out of the evi[58]*58dence or any part of it, you must acquit him.”

The charge is substantially the same charge which, when refused by the trial court, necessitated a reversal in Tillman v. State, Ala.Cr.App., 360 So.2d 1074 (1978), wherein Judge Bookout clearly explained why such charge should be given when requested by defendant in writing in a criminal case and set forth all the cases that need to be cited in support of the conclusion reached in the opinion.

Appellee takes no issue with the charge requested as a correct principle of law, but contends the principle was “adequately and substantially covered in the oral charge and for that reason it was not error to refuse the charge.” In setting forth the portion of the court’s oral charge that appellee contends substantially covers the principle stated in Charge 7, it quotes from the court’s oral charge as follows:

“. . . The State has the burden of proving the charge as a whole and each material allegation thereof beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty.”
“The oral charge demanded that before conviction the jury must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty that the evidence proved the charge as a whole and in part (each material allegation thereof).”

We do not believe that the substitution of the words “in part” for the words “each material allegation thereof” in the court’s oral charge is warranted. It appears to us that the court, in the language quoted from its oral charge, was referring to the charge in the indictment as a whole and each material allegation thereof and was not referring to the evidence as a whole and in part.

Although not cited by either party, we are reminded of the recent case of King v. State, Ala., 356 So.2d 1220 (1977) rev’g Ala.Cr.App., 356 So.2d 1216, wherein the Supreme Court held that the refusal of a similar charge was saved from error by reason of its coverage by portions of the court’s oral charge. However, our search of the oral charge for any substantial coverage therein of the principle set forth in requested Charge 7 has been in vain. There were no written charges given; all written charges requested were refused. The refusal of Charge No. 7 constitutes reversible error.

Appellant relies upon Lane v. State, 85 Ala. 11, 4 So. 730 (1887) and Morse v. State, 49 Ala.App. 203, 269 So.2d 916 (1972) in urging that it was error to refuse defendant’s requested Charge No. 6:

“The State must prove its charge, and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, by evidence. The assertions of counsel are not evidence.”

In Lamar v. State, Ala., 356 So.2d 680, rev’g Ala.Cr.App., 356 So.2d 677, Justice Shores made it clear that what was held in the pioneer case of Lane as to a similar charge should be restricted to the circumstances of Lane, in which there had been an improper argument by the prosecuting attorney. To the record in this case, we apply what was said in Lamar:

“. . . There is nothing to indicate that improper argument was made by the prosecuting attorney. Clearly, assertions made by counsel are not evidence, but it is not necessary in every criminal prosecution that a charge to that effect be given to the jury. If the trial court adequately charges the jury as to what evidence it may properly consider in its deliberation, and adequately charges that the state has the burden to prove its charge beyond a reasonable doubt, it is not necessary that the charge expressly exclude assertions of counsel from the jury. Lane v. State, supra, does not compel a reversal in all instances where the trial court refuses the charge as requested by the defendant in this case.”

There is nothing in the record before us to indicate that the jury could have been led to believe that the assertions of counsel constituted evidence in the case. Contra-wise, just after the jury was selected to try [59]*59the case and immediately before the attorneys made their statements as to what they expected the evidence to show, the court instructed the jury as follows:

. . They [the attorneys for the respective parties] are going to address you in a few moments and will tell you what they think the evidence in this case will show. What they say to you is not evidence . . ..”

Just after the close of the testimony and immediately before the attorneys commenced their arguments, the court stated to the jury:

“. . . What [the attorneys] say, what comes out of their mouth is not evidence in this ease. It’s their impression or their evaluation that they want to pass on to you of what the evidence in this case has shown or has failed to have shown . . ..”

The court was not in error in its refusal of Charge 6.

Defendant’s written Charges 2, 4, 8, 12 and 20, setting forth the principle that the presumption of innocence attends an accused “as a matter of evidence” were refused. It has beén steadfastly held that such charges state a correct proposition of law to which a defendant is entitled by an instruction of the court to the jury. Bryant v. State, Ala.Cr.App., 348 So.2d 1136 (1977), in which a list of recent cases in support of such conclusion is found.

Appellee urges that the particular principle stated in said refused charges is covered by a portion of the court’s oral charge as follows:

“. . . there is a presumption of innocence, a cloak of innocence wrapped around the shoulder of the defendant.

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Brown v. State, 369 So. 2d 56 (Ala. Ct. App. 1979).

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