Cannon v. State

301 So. 2d 272, 53 Ala. App. 509, 1974 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1303
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedAugust 13, 1974
Docket6 Div. 565
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 301 So. 2d 272 (Cannon v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cannon v. State, 301 So. 2d 272, 53 Ala. App. 509, 1974 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1303 (Ala. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

TYSON, Judge.

The appellant, Charles William Cannon, was indicted by the Grand Jury of Jefferson County for the first degree murder *512 of Jack Warren, Jr., by shooting him with a pistol. The Jury found the appellant guilty of murder in the second degree and fixed punishment at twenty-three years imprisonment. The trial court entered judgment in accordance with this verdict and subsequently denied appellant’s motion for new trial following a hearing.

On May 31, 1972, at approximately 8:00 p. m., two black males arrived at the Chrystal Service Station, located at 2131 Twenty-Sixth Street North in the City of Birmingham. According to State’s witness Samuel Wheeler, age sixteen, who was employed there, the men were riding in a beige 1963 Dodge automobile. Wheeler serviced this automobile, the driver, Josh Stephens, gave him $2.00 for the gasoline, and he went inside the station to obtain the change due him. While Wheeler was getting the change, the passenger, whom Wheeler identified as the appellant, Charles William “Slim” Cannon, came into the station and engaged the deceased, Jack Warren, Jr., in conversation. Wheeler stated that the appellant first walked out of the station’s office and then went back in. As he did so, the deceased, Jack Warren, Jr., put a pistol, which he kept in the station, in his pocket. Wheeler stated that the deceased told the appellant to move his vehicle so that he could service other cars. Words were exchanged and the appellant started walking toward the deceased. From the record [pp. 77-79]:

“Q. All right. When Slim started walking towards Jack, what did Jack do ?
“A. Jack was coming out of his pocket.
“Q. What did Slim do ?
“A. Slim kept going towards him.
“Q. All right. Then what happened?
“A. Then Jack came out of his pocket with the gun.
“Q. What happened then ?
“A. Slim grabbed him around the wrist and beat his arm against the cash register.
“Q. Which hand did Jack have the gun in?
“A. In his right hand.
“Q. All right. And when he came out of his pocket with the gun, did he have it pointed towards Slim, or towards the floor.
“A. Pointed towards the floor.
“Q. Tell me what happened then.
“A. Then Slim kept knocking his hand up against the cash register and knocked the gun down between the cash register and the adding machine.
“Q. In here (indicating) ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Then what happened ?
“A. Then Slim hit Jack in the chest with his fist and picked up the gun and shot him.
“Q. All right. Which did he do first and with which hand ? Tell us.
“A. He hit Jack with his right hand.
“Q. Which hand did he pick up the gun with?
“A. Left.
“Q. What did he do then ?
“A. Put it in his right hand and shot Jack.
“Q. When he shot Jack where was Jack standing ?
“A. Standing in front of the restroom.
“Q. Was the restroom door closed ?
“A. Yes, sir, it was closed.
“Q. All right. Now, when Slim shot, was Jack’s hands down, or were they up in any way?
“A. I really didn’t see. I was still on the floor.
“Q. Did you ever see Jack Warren advance towards Slim ?
“A. No, sir.
*513 “Q. Did you ever see anything in Jack Warren’s hands after the gun fell on the table ?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. What happened then ?
“A. A few minutes later, after the shot, I ran out the door.
“Q. Well, now, before you ran out the door, what happened, if anything? Did Slim stay there, or did he leave ?
“A. He must have left.
“Q. When you got up from the — behind the desk, did you see him ?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. What did you do then ?
“A. I ran out the door.”

Wheeler then stated that he went to his home and telephoned the police, who came to the station within a few minutes to investigate. Wheeler, on cross-examination, further testified that he was taken to the police station on four separate occasions and was shown photographs of a number of persons before he finally identified the appellant. He stated that he had originally told the police and news reporters on the night of the homicide that he could not identify the assailant. He further testified that it was on the fourth occasion that he made a positive identification of the appellant from photographs shown to him at police headquarters, and he also identified the driver of the vehicle as Josh Stephens from photographs shown to him.

Terry Lynn Ferguson, a ten year old girl, testifying for the defense, stated that she was in the station at the time of the homicide, but that the appellant was not present. She stated she had gone there to purchase some candy. However, on cross-examination, she testified that she, while at police headquarters with her brother, had previously identified the appellant to the police as the person who allegedly shot Warren. This identification, however, was recanted by her at trial. She stated that she was frightened and that was why she identified the appellant.

The appellant presented a number of alibi witnesses who testified that he was at the home of Mrs. Annie Martha Miller, 2825 Twenty-First Alley North, on the night of the homicide, playing cards. Mrs. Miller, her husband, a sister, a daughter, and a niece, and in addition two other males, testified that the appellant had been present since late afternoon at her home, on May 31, 1972, where all of them were playing a game of “Whisk.” They stated that the only time the appellant left was shortly before 7:00 p. m. to go to the liquor store to purchase some gin and wine, accompanied by one David Boykin. They stated he was gone between thirty and forty-five minutes, and that he returned and continued playing cards with them. These witnesses further testified that around 8:00 p. m., one Eddy Williams came to the home and told them about a man being shot at the Chrystal Service Station; that a group of them walked with the appellant to the vicinity of the station to find out what had happened.

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Bluebook (online)
301 So. 2d 272, 53 Ala. App. 509, 1974 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cannon-v-state-alacrimapp-1974.