Coats v. State

1934 OK CR 68, 32 P.2d 955, 56 Okla. Crim. 26, 1934 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 10
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 18, 1934
DocketNo. A-8694.
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 1934 OK CR 68 (Coats 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
Coats v. State, 1934 OK CR 68, 32 P.2d 955, 56 Okla. Crim. 26, 1934 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 10 (Okla. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

DAVENPORT, J.

The plaintiff in error was convicted in the district court of Cotton county of robbery and sentenced to serve a term of five years in the state penitentiary. The parties hereinafter will be referred to as they appear in the trial court.

The substance of the testimony on behalf of the state shows the prosecuting witness, Sam Biggs, was running a restaurant in the city of Walters; that he slept in the restaurant; some time around 3:30 the morning of the 21st of November, 1933, Biggs was robbed of $5; in accomplishing the robbery, Biggs was struck with a piece of lumber about 4 feet long, 4 inches wide, and % inch thick, the result of the wound necessitating Biggs being taken to the hospital and treated by a physician. The proof further shows that after the robbery Biggs’ restaurant was examined and a hatband was found on the floor of the bedroom with blood on it; blood was also found on the piece of lumber alleged to have been used by the robber. The officers, after securing this information, went to the home of George HoAvard and found Howard and Charlie Coats in bed asleep. About 6:15 a. m., the defendant was arrested at the home of a man by the name of Richards, where the defendant’s sweetheart lived.

It is further shown by the evidence that at the time the defendant was arrested he had blood on his shoes and shirt, and that he Avas intoxicated. When defendant was arrested, he tried to explain the blood on his clothing, claiming he had been hit on the side of the jaw causing his mouth to bleed. The testimony further shows that earlier in the evening before Biggs was robbed, the defendant, *28 Charlie Coats, and George Howard had gone to the Biggs restaurant and had stolen a half gallon of whisky.

Biggs claims he was asleep in his restaurant and felt somebody put their hands in his ribs, and that he was unconscious for some time; he was struck about three times on the left arm, and three times across the face; the $5 he lost was taken from his watch pocket in his pants; he was in bed with his shirt and pants on. He saw them find the hatband, and said he had seen it on November 21, 1933, on the floor of his bedroom; it had blood on it which witness said came from his face bleeding.

Witness identified the liquor that had been stolen from him, and stated the money had been taken from him by force and without his permission. Witness further stated he had seen George Howard wearing the hatband found in his room at a Rodeo that was held in Walters on Armistice day.

George Howard testifying on behalf of the state said:

“I have lived in Walters 25 years, in about one block of the Biggs place; I saw the defendant, Jess Coats, the night of the alleged robbery about 1 o’clock in the morning, in a restaurant run by a man named Clark; defendant stated he was going to take a sandwich and some milk to some one; he was gone about fifteen or 20 minutes; I had started north when Coats caught up with me; while we were walking near the Biggs place of business he said, let’s look for Biggs’ whisky; we found the whisky in an open space about five or ten steps from the door of the Biggs building; I saw Biggs at the counter of the restaurant and he looked like he was asleep; he had his head against the west wall, and defendant said, ‘You reckon he has any dough?’ We went back to my room and took a couple of drinks and ate some chicken, it was then about 2 o’clock in the morning; Charlie Coats and I remained at our home; the defendant said he had a date with a girl; he *29 tried on an overcoat of mine and my big hat, and left wearing my hat.” Witness identified the hat worn by the defendant; he also identified the hatband found at the scene of the robbery as being the hatband that was on his hat at the time the defendant left with it. Witness further stated: “I was not at the Biggs restaurant after we got the whisky; when defendant left my home he. took some liquor with him.”

Rachael Richards stated her home was in Walters—

“I have lived two years in the southeast part of town; I know Jess Coats, the defendant; he passed through my room about 12:30 the morning of November 21, 1933, with a bottle of something and a sandwich for nay sister Ruby; at that time I did not see any blood on his clothes or shoes; the defendant roomed at our house; he went out about 15 minutes later and returned home between 3:20 and 4 and went to bed and spent the remainder of the night.”

George Beach stated he was a night watchman at Walters on November 21, 1933; he was called to the north end of town; when he arrived a man by the name óf Stapps told him about a man being knocked in the head; he found Sam Biggs about 3:30 a. m., he saw the hatband in the Biggs place of business, and took Biggs to the hospital; Biggs was covered Avith blood, it looked like his nose was badly injured; Biggs told him he had lost some money.

Tracy Daugherty stated:

“I am a deputy sheriff; 20 minutes before four the morning of November 21, 1933, I received a call from George Beach; I drove to the hospital and saw Beach and the man, iSam Biggs, Avho had been robbed; I made an investigation for the supposed robber, got a description, and finally located him at the Richards home where I arrested him; George HoAvard and Charlie Coats had already been arrested; when we found the defendant he was covered Avith bed clothes; we found the liquor in his room that had been stolen from Biggs; the defendant had on a shirt *30 and a pair of pants; there were blood spots on the front of his shirt and collar, and spots of blood on his shoes; an examination showed there were spots of blood on the collar and sleeve of defendant’s coat; I searched him and found four fl bills and a little change; the collar of the shirt was wet — indicating it had been washed.”

The defendant, testifying in his own behalf, admitted being with the parties when they got the whisky at the Biggs place during the latter part of the night, and claims he had a fight with Biggs, and struck him with a piece of plank but did not rob him— “My brother, George Howard, and myself came to his place to purchase whisky and had a racket there over the whisky that had been stolen”. His brother Charlie Coats testified in substance the same as did the defendant.

George Howard, testifying for the state, stated when defendant left his house he and Charlie Coats remained there; they did not go back to the Biggs restaurant any more that night; defendant wore his hat when he left his home. This is the substance of the testimony.

The first assignment discussed by the defendant is his assignment that the information fails to charge a crime against the defendant. This court has repeatedly held that an information which informs the defendant of the offense with which he is charged with such particularity as will enable him to prepare for his trial, and so defines and identifies the offense that the defendant, if convicted or acquitted, will be able to defend himself in case he is indicted or an information filed against him for the same offense, by pleading the record of a former conviction or acquittal, is sufficient as against a demurrer. The demurrer was properly overruled.

It is next insisted by the defendant that the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction.

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1937 OK CR 81 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1937)
Liddell v. State
1937 OK CR 78 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1937)
Grable v. State
1937 OK CR 33 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1937)
Robinson v. State
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Green v. State
1936 OK CR 142 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1936)
Clemmer v. State
1935 OK CR 1 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1934 OK CR 68, 32 P.2d 955, 56 Okla. Crim. 26, 1934 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coats-v-state-oklacrimapp-1934.