Brown v. State

1975 OK CR 13, 530 P.2d 1056, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 280
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 10, 1975
DocketNo. F-74-468
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1975 OK CR 13 (Brown 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
Brown v. State, 1975 OK CR 13, 530 P.2d 1056, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 280 (Okla. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinions

OPINION

BUSSEY, Judge:

Defendant, Stanley Leo Brown, was convicted' by jury verdict in the District Court, Carter County, for the offense of Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, After Former Conviction of a Felony, in violation of 63 O.S., § 2-401 (Case No. CRF-74-3). From the uncontroverted State’s evidence produced at trial the jury found that defendant was guilty as charged with delivering and distributing six bags of amphetamines to Gay-Ion Hayes on the 23rd day of September, 1973. Pursuant to the verdict defendant was sentenced to imprisonment in the State penitentiary for a period of thirty-five (35) years and was fined in the amount of Twenty-Five Hundred ($2,500.00) dollars. Defendant brings this timely appeal of said judgment and sentence raising three propositions of error.

Defendant does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence adduced at his trial and therefore we do not find it necessary to set forth the facts of this case. We note that the verdict of the jury was supported by ample competent evidence proving the defendant guilty as charged.

In his first assignment of error defendant contends that the trial court erred by communicating with the jury by means of a written note after the jury had received the court’s instructions and retired to deliberate.

The record reveals that the jury submitted the following written question to the judge through the bailiff:

“What per cent of the sentence will he have to serve to become eligible for parole? We do not understand this and wish to be advised.”

Upon receiving the note, the judge summoned defense counsel and the District Attorney into his office. A discussion was had between the judge and counsel concerning what the court’s response to the jury’s inquiry should be, and by agreement of defense counsel and the District Attorney, a written answer was prepared and returned to the jury by the bailiff.

This note was lost and therefore we do not know the exact wording of the judge’s response. While preparing the transcript the reporter contacted the trial judge who stated that his recollection of the content of the statement was as follows :

“The substance of said answer was that that was a matter not within their province, and that the Court could not give them the answer to their question.”

Upon motion and Order allowing the Attorney General to supplement the record, affidavits from two jurors and the District Attorney were added to the record which set forth the handwritten reply of the trial judge to have been as follows :

“I cannot answer your question. The question of parole is a matter for the executive branch of State Government.”

While the exact words of the judge’s response are not known, there is no dispute as to the fact that defense counsel agreed both to the manner used to communicate with the jury and the contents of the reply. The following exchange from the tran[1058]*1058script of the hearing on defendant’s Motion for New Trial makes this abundantly clear :

“THE COURT: '[E]rror of the Court in responding in writing to a written question of the Jury during its deliberation.’ It is my memory that you agreed to that.
“MR. WARREN: Yes sir, that’s correct, I did. The contention of the defendant is, which I was not aware of, at the time, but defendant’s contention in reference to this that it was error per se by doing this out of the chambers and not coming back into open court. And, and submitting the answer to the jury, the response.
“THE COURT: That is exactly what you agreed to. I told you at the time that we wouldn’t do that unless you did agree.
“MR. WARREN: Yes sir, I know, I know, I know I did agree.
“THE COURT: When you agree to something, you don’t make it as grounds for error.”

Defense counsel cites numerous decisions of this Court wherein we have held that reversible error occurred when communication took place between judge and jury outside the provisions of 22 O.S.1971, § 857 and § 894.

As set forth in the sixth paragraph of the syllabus of Ladd v. State, 89 Okl.Cr., 294, 207 P.2d 350 (1949), the law is well settled that:

“Where the trial judge communicates with the jury, outside of the court room, in the absence of defendant or his counsel, such conduct is presumed to be prejudicial to the defendant, and the burden is upon the state to show that the defendant was not prejudiced by reason of such misconduct.”

Because the communication which is now complained of occurred with the knowledge and consent of defense counsel during the second stage of trial and constituted but a simple negative response imparting no additional knowledge or instruction to the jury, we find that any objection was waived, that no presumption of prejudice arose and that same did not constitute error. See, Goodwin v. State, Okl.Cr., 506 P.2d 571 (1973) and Choate v. State, Okl.Cr., 476 P.2d 384 (1970).

Secondly, defendant asserts that the trial judge erred by allowing the witness Gaylon Hayes to relate a partial conversation between defendant and himself which occurred approximately two weeks prior to the date of the offense on trial. Defense counsel argues that the admission of this testimony allowed evidence to come before the jury that the defendant had committed another crime. He submits that the admission was in violation of the well recognized general exclusionary rule which prohibits the introduction of evidence showing the accused committed an offense other than that for which he stands trial, even when an offense of the same sort, since an accused must be convicted, if at all, by evidence showing him to be guilty of the offense charged. However, we are of the opinion that the testimony complained of, when considered as a whole, did not present evidence to the jury that the defendant had committed a separate offense and therefore the evil of prejudice sought to be prevented by the exclusionary rule is not present.

The exchange constituting the substance of defendant’s proposition is as follows:

“Q. Let the record reflect that the witness has identified the defendant. Where did you see the defendant on September 9, 1973 ?
“A. At the Parkview Club which is located on Murray Drive in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
“Q. Where was he, and what was he doing, when you first saw him, please?
“A. He was standing in front of the Club by a motorcycle when I first observed Mr. Brown.
[1059]*1059“Q. Did you have an occasion to have a conversation with the defendant, Stanley Leo Brown, on September 9, 1973, at the Parkview Club?
“MR. WARREN: If it please the Court, at this time the defense would object. Objecting on the grounds that it would be incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial, as to this charge. I understand the charge occurred, or the alleged offense occurred on September 23rd, 1973, and not September the 9th. And the defense contends that September the 9th would be remote and would thereby be incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial to this charge.

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Related

NICHOLSON v. STATE
2018 OK CR 10 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2018)
Smallwood v. State
1995 OK CR 60 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1995)
Reynolds v. State
1978 OK CR 21 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
1975 OK CR 13, 530 P.2d 1056, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 280, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-state-oklacrimapp-1975.