Brown v. State

167 So. 2d 281, 42 Ala. App. 429, 1964 Ala. App. LEXIS 258
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 7, 1964
Docket7 Div. 739
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 167 So. 2d 281 (Brown v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. State, 167 So. 2d 281, 42 Ala. App. 429, 1964 Ala. App. LEXIS 258 (Ala. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

CATES, judge.

One of the judges having so moved, this • cause is restored to the docket, the original opinion is vacated and the cause stands now as newly submitted.

On further consideration, the opinion of the court is as follows:

Mrs. Brown appeals from a conviction of possessing a prohibited alcoholic beverage. Code 1940, T. 29, § 98. The punishment was a fine of $50.00.

Virgil H. Br.own and M. G. Richards, deputies of the sheriff of DeKalb County, went to Mrs. Brown’s home. This was about a fouftH of‘a mile “from Fisher’s Crossroads Store on Lookout Mountain.”

There these officers found “one-half pint of untaxed whiskey in the kitchen cabinet” cached in an empty flour bin.

Mr. Richards, on cross-examination, testified in part:

“Q. Was there anyone else in this house ?
“A. Yes sir, Winford Bailey.
“Q. What was his condition?
“A. He stayed on the couch.
“Q. What was his condition?
“A. He had alcoholic beverages on his breath.
“Q. What was Mrs. Brown’s condition?
“A. I didn’t notice.
“Q. She didn’t have anything to drink ?
“A. I don’t think so.
“Q. Was this bottle full that you allegedly found?
“A. No sir.
“Q. Some had been used out of it? “A. Yes sir.
“Q. And you didn’t find any evidence that this lady had been drinking?
“A. No sir.
* * * * *
“Q. Did you charge the person with violating the prohibition law?
“A. Neither of them would claim it so we had to charge it to one of them.
* * * * *
“Q. Was Winford Bailey the person you aiTested on this day for intoxication ?
“A. Yes sir.
“Q. Did you find the bottle that Mr. Bailey had been drinking out of?
“A. No sir.
“Q. So far as you know this bottle was the one Mr. Bailey had been drinking out of? This bottle that you allegedly found?
“A. I wouldn’t say.
“Q. But there had been some gone out of it?
“A. Yes sir.
“Q. How did you search this house? Did Mr. Butler search any of the house ?
“A. Front room and kitchen. He found that while I was in the other room.
*431 “Q. And you don’t know how many trips he made in conducting this search ?
“A. No sir, I don’t know.”

The two deputies searched Mrs. Brown’s home, purporting to be armed with a warrant. This warrant is based on the form in Code 1940, T. 15, § 105. Code 1940, T. 29, §§ 210-214 and 220 also provide for search warrants in liquor cases.

Section 212, supra (of the liquor laws), provides:

“§ 212. — Said warrants may be issued only on probable cause supported by affidavit naming or describing the person or other party whose premises are to be searched, if known, and describing as near as possible the liquors and beverages to be searched for and the place to be searched, but the liquors or beverages may be described as prohibited liquors and beverages or spirituous, vinous, or malt liquors if more specific description be not obtainable, and the affidavit may show that more specific description is not obtainable.”

Code 1940, T. 15, § 102, provides :

“§ 102. — A search warrant can only be issued on probable cause, supported by affidavit, naming or describing the person, and particularly describing the property, and the place to be searched.”

The affidavit is in conclusory form and asserts the positive personal knowledge of the affiant both as to the possession and its purpose:

“Before me, W. J. Chitwood, Judge of the DeKalb County Inferior Court of said County and State, personally appeared M. G. Richards who, being by me duly sworn, deposed and says that Ruth Brown has spiritous, vinous or malt liquors or other prohibited liquors upon his [sic] person, in his [sic] house, barn or premises which are stored for sale, delivery or other purposes contrary to law.
/s/ M. G. Richards .
“Sworn to and subscribed to before me, this 25 day of Jan., 1963
/s/ W. J. Chitwood
Judge of the DeKalb County Inferior Court.”

Mr. Butler testified, on cross, as to the circumstances of origin of the warrant, in part:

“Q. Did you and any other Deputy obtain these warrants based on your own information?
“A. Only on information we had received.
“Q. What kind of information?
“A. We had received several phone calls. Anonymous calls.
“Q. You obtained these warrants on anonymous phone calls?
“A. Yes, some people who identified themselves as residents.
“Q. Did you recognize these voices.
“A. No sir.
“Q. Were any of them male voices? Do you know Luke Thompson?
“A. No sir.
“Q. Do you know if any of these calls were from Luke Thompson? '
“A. No sir.
% j{í ijc
“Q. I asked you, Mr. Butler, if this anonymous caller stated that there would be whiskey at the residence if you went there?
“A. Yes, and a wild party.
“Q. What kind of statement?
“A. They said that they had, whiskey at Ruth Brown’s place and that they were drinking and carousing at her house.
*432 “Q. But you didn’t know who made the call?
“A. No. sir.”

Taken on voir dire, Mr. Richards also testified:

“Q. What basis did you obtain this warrant on?
“A. You mean the reason I got it?
“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
167 So. 2d 281, 42 Ala. App. 429, 1964 Ala. App. LEXIS 258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-state-alactapp-1964.