Colletti v. State

12 Ohio App. 104, 31 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 81, 31 Ohio C.A. 81, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 227
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 23, 1919
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 12 Ohio App. 104 (Colletti v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Colletti v. State, 12 Ohio App. 104, 31 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 81, 31 Ohio C.A. 81, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 227 (Ohio Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

Patterson, J.

(of the Fifth Appellate District, sitting in place of Dunlap, J.). The plaintiff in error, Frank Colletti, the defendant below, was indicted by the grand jury of Summit county for murder in the first degree, the indictment containing three counts, the first charging in brief that on the 10th day of August, 1918, the accused shot the decedent, Frank Abruzzi, on the left side of the abdomen, which wound caused his death. The second and third counts of the indictment charged the accused with shooting said Frank Abruzzi and inflicting two mortal wounds upon his back.

The proof shows that the shooting took place about nine o’clock in the evening, near the corner of Howard and Lods streets in the city of Akron, and that the decedent after the shooting was taken to the hospital and died there that night.

The jury found the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, with a recommendation of mercy.

A motion for a new trial was duly filed, which was overruled by the trial court, and a petition in error was filed in this court to reverse the judgment of the court below.

Many errors occurring in the trial are assigned by counsel for plaintiff in error, of which the principal ones are the four following:

1. That the defendant below was not' present when the jury viewed the premises.

2. That the alleged dying declarations of the decedent were not submitted in proper form, and were not admissible.

3. That the defendant did not have a public trial.

4. Errors in the charge of the court to the jury.

[106]*106With regard to the first error complained of, the record at page 2 shows that before the statements of the prosecutor and the defendant were made .the prosecutor requested that the jury view the premises. Thereupon the court inquired whether counsel for defendant “would prefer that, too,” and the reply was, “We have no objection. We join in the request.” The trial court proceeded to admonish the jury as to their duties and conduct during this view of the premises, and then inquired of counsel for the accused, “Do you want to take the defendant down, too?” To this Mr. Kimber, of counsel for the defense, replied, “No, we waive that right to take the defendant down.”

It is now contended on the part of the accused that neither he nor his counsel could waive the right of being present while the jury viewed the premises; that a view of the premises is a part of the trial and the accused must necessarily be present; and that his constitutional rights have therefore been violated, as well as his rights under Section 13676, General Code, in that this part of the trial was conducted without his presence.

Had the accused requested to be present upon a view of the premises, and the court refused this request, it would have been clearly error to have conducted this view against his objection. This is discussed in Hotelling v. State, 3 C. C., 630, the third proposition of the syllabus of which is as follows:

“Where an order *made by the court, on motion of the prosecuting attorney, under section 7283 [Revised Statutes], that the jury view the premises where the alleged crime was committed, in [107]*107charge of the sheriff and a person appointed by the court to point out the premises, it is error to permit such view in the absence of the accused and against his objection.”

And at pages 634 and 635 in the opinion of the above case the court say:

“The counsel for the State then moved the court for an order that the jury view the premises where it was claimed the murder had been committed; the prisoner objected, the objection was overruled, and he excepted. The court made the order that the jury be conducted to the place in a body, in charge of the sheriff and a person appointed by the court, to point out the premises; and gave instructions that no other persons should be permitted to speak to the jury upon any matter connected with the trial, while thus absent from the court room. 'The view was had, and the jury returned. This objection and exception is assigned for error. Sec. 7283 [Revised Statutes] provides that whenever in ■the opinion of the court it is proper for the jurors to have a view of the place at which any material fact occurred, it may order them to be conducted in a body, under the charge of the sheriff, to the place which shall be shown to them by some person appointed by the court. And while the jurors are thus absent, no person other than the sheriff having them in charge, and the person appointed to show them the place, shall speak- to them on any subject connected with the trial. Counsel for the prisoner contends that this section of. the statutes is in violation of Sec. 10, Art. 1, of the constitution, which provides that ‘in any trial in any court, the party accused shall be allowed to appear and [108]*108defend in person and with counsel; to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him; to have a copy thereof, and to meet the witnesses face to face.’

“We do not think it necessary to pass upon txie question whether this statute is in violation of the constitution, unless its operation would necessarily preclude the accused from being present during the view of the premises. This it does not do. There is nothing to prevent him from being present, if permitted by the court, unless he would voluntarily waive such right. It is not only his constitutional right to be present during the trial, but Sec. 7301 of the statute provides among other things ‘that he shall not be tried unless personally present.’ If the view of the premises was a part of the trial, it is certain he should have been present when the view was had.”

In the above case it will be noted that the accused was not allowed the privilege of being present during the view of the premises by the jury, and that he duly excepted to his deprivation of this privilege. The record in this case shows no desire upon the part of the accused to be present at this view of the premises; he expressly waives his right to be present, and no exception is filed thereto. This would bring him under the rule laid down in Blythe v. The State, 47 Ohio St., 234, in which case the entire opinion per curiam is as follows:

“A view of the place where the homicide occurred is expressly authorized by section 7283, Revised Statutes, which makes no provision for the defendant on trial to accompany the jury when it is made. Section 7301, Revised Stat[109]*109utes, prescribes that, except in cases of misdemeanors, no one charged with an offense shall be tried in his absence.

“This section does not require the actual presence of the accused in court at all times during his trial, but prescribes that one out of the jurisdiction or control of the court can not be tried for a felony, and notwithstanding this section (7301, Revised Statutes), one on trial for a felony and not in actual custody may pass in and out of the courtroom, and remain absent for considerable periods of time, without rendering the progress of the trial during his absence erroneous.

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Bluebook (online)
12 Ohio App. 104, 31 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 81, 31 Ohio C.A. 81, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colletti-v-state-ohioctapp-1919.