Crabtree v. State

339 P.2d 1066
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 17, 1958
DocketA-12589
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 339 P.2d 1066 (Crabtree 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
Crabtree v. State, 339 P.2d 1066 (Okla. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinions

POWELL, Judge.

W. B. Crabtree, plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged in the Superior Court of Creek County, Drumright Division, with intent to kill, and convicted of the included offense of assault to do bodily harm, and was by the court sentenced to serve a term of three years in the State Penitentiary.

For reversal counsel argue his case under two propositions;

(1) “The court failed to properly instruct the jury as to the law of self-defense.
(2) “The court allowed the jury to separate and mingle with bystanders in the court room without giving the statutory admonition as to conduct to the jury.”

Considering the last proposition first, we have carefully examined the case-made to discover therefrom what actually transpired, and if the record would support the conclusions set out in the proposition presented.

From the record we find that when the within case was called, counsel for the defendant sought a continuance and presented some evidence in support of his motion; that the court refused to grant a continuance, and the selection of a jury commenced and the jury was selected and sworn. The minutes show that: “The court reporter being out of the room and making no record as to the court’s admonition to the jury, the court announced a short recess.”

The above minute would indicate that the court had actually admonished the jury, which means in accordance with 22 O.S. 1951 § 854, reading:

“The jury must also, at each adjournment of the court, whether permitted to separate or kept in charge of officers, be admonished by the court that it is their duty not to converse among themselves or with anyone else on any subject connected with the trial, or to form or express any opinion thereon, until the case is finally submitted to them.”

The minute further shows that while the jury was out counsel for defendant made the-following record:

“Mr. Moore: If your Honor please, at this time comes now the defendant and objects to the continuing of this trial at this time upon the grounds and for the reason that prior to and during the last recess there was no admonition to the jury covering their conduct during the recess of the case.
“By the Court: Overruled.”

After this ruling the county attorney read the information to the jury and outlined to them the State’s case, to which the defendant had entered a plea of not guilty. Following this, the rule was asked, the witnesses were sworn and evidence in the case was heard by the jury.

The general rule is that the burden rests upon a proponent of a motion to support the same by evidence, unless the purported facts are admitted. Here the minute is in conflict with the asserted facts of the motion. The minute indicates that some admonition by the court to the jui-y was made, but just what, we are not advised, because the minute says that the court reporter was not in the room when the admonition was made. We must presume, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, [1069]*1069that the court actually advised the jury, as the court is presumed to follow the law. As said in Galbert v. State, Okl.Cr., 278 P.2d 245, 246:

“There is a presumption that officers perform their duties in the manner prescribed by law and where it is contended that there is noncompliance with certain statutory provisions, it is incumbent upon the one making such assertion to introduce evidence to support his contention.”

It is stated in 22 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 589, p. 903:

“In the absence of proof to the contrary, the proceedings of courts properly exercising criminal jurisdiction are presumed to be regular, and the mere failure of their records to show this, does not overcome the presumption. * * * ”

See also Ex parte Owen, 82 Okl.Cr. 415, 422, 171 P.2d 868, and cases cited.

If perchance the court did not actually admonish the jury, counsel for the defendant should have called such fact to the attention of the court at the instant the jury arose to leave the room, if it did leave, so that the court would have had opportunity to give the admonishment. It is apparent that counsel was more interested in a mistrial than in the enforcement of the precautionary measures to prevent a violation of the statutory provisions quoted.

Under the state of the record, we do not find where any substantial right of the defendant had been violated in respect •complained of.

The principles of law with reference to admonition of juries, set out in Rutherford v. State, 95 Okl.Cr. 311, 245 P.2d 96, cited by both the defendant and the State, is adhered to and we consider nothing that we have said herein contrary thereto.

In considering the proposition that the court failed to properly instruct the jury as to the law of self-defense, a statement of the charge and a summary of the pertinent evidence is necessary for a clearer understanding.

The defendant was charged with on July 6, assaulting A. J. Garnett, with intent to kill, by shooting him with a certain pistol.

A. J. Garnett testified that on July 6, 1956, he was living at 140 Cherry Street, Drum-right; that he was 72 years of age at the time; that he was acquainted with a Mrs. Linville who lived at 143 East Maple Street, Drumright. That he had obtained materials from a lumber yard to build a corner cabinet for Mrs. Linville in her dining room, and had cut the lumber at his home, where he had a power saw, and necessary tools for cabinet work, but at around 5:45 in the afternoon he carried the sawed-out parts to the Linville home there to assemble the cabinet. While witness was installing the cabinet, he said that he heard Mrs. Linville talking on the telephone, and heard her exclaim: “And that is a threat, is it?” The court properly sustained an objection to this, and admonished witness to just tell what took place. Said the witness:

“And the first thing I knew Mr. Crabtree rushed into the back door and had a gun in his hand, and he cursed Mrs. Linville and told her he was going to kill her. She screamed and run out on the front porch and he started to follow her. I said, ‘Don’t shoot that woman’, and he turned around and pointed the gun at me and said, ‘Keep out of this or I will let you have it’, and he went on out on the porch and I heard a shot and I don’t remember whether it was one or two shots that was fired and she came back in and passed me and I didn’t know what became of her and he followed her back in and'run up four or five feet from me and pointed the gun at me and shot me.
“Q. Where did he shoot you? A. It hit me about here (Indicating).
“Q. Go ahead. A. Just as soon as he shot me I run into him and bowled him over and took the gun away from him and threw the gun. I don’t know why I threw it, but I took the gun and [1070]*1070then I got up and walked out.on the porch and out into the yard and sat down either in the yard or on the steps, I don’t remember where I sat down.
“Q. Is that the last thing you remember, sir? A. Well, I remember them picking me up and putting me in an ambulance and taking me to Cushing to the hospital.”

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Wright v. Commonwealth
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Rouse v. State
1979 OK CR 31 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1979)
Bryant v. State
1974 OK CR 64 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1974)
Smith v. State
368 P.2d 246 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1962)
Crabtree v. State
339 P.2d 1066 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1958)

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Bluebook (online)
339 P.2d 1066, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crabtree-v-state-oklacrimapp-1958.