Deason v. State

1978 OK CR 38, 576 P.2d 778, 1978 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 180
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 28, 1978
DocketF-76-822
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 1978 OK CR 38 (Deason 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
Deason v. State, 1978 OK CR 38, 576 P.2d 778, 1978 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 180 (Okla. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinions

OPINION

BUSSEY, Presiding Judge:

Appellant, James Harvey Deason, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged with the offense of Murder in the Second Degree, pursuant to 21 O.S.Supp.1973, § 701, and was tried and convicted in the District Court, Tulsa County, Case No. CRF-76-136. The trial court sentenced the defendant to serve a term of not less than ten (10) years, nor more than life in an institution to be designated by the Department of Corrections. From said judgment and sentence, the defendant has perfected his appeal to this Court.

The first witness called by the State was Andrew Angove, son of the deceased, Mrs. Dolores Angove. Andrew testified that he arrived home between 12:15 and 12:30 a.m. on January 17, 1976, and found the defendant talking on the telephone to the deceased. Andrew testified that the defendant handed the phone to him, and he spoke with his mother who was at the police sta[780]*780tion with her younger son Matthew. The defendant left the house and approximately 30 minutes later the deceased arrived with Matthew. A short time later the defendant returned and motioned for the deceased to go into the living room with him, which she did. Andrew went upstairs to his bedroom, and had gone to bed when he heard a “thud” downstairs. Andrew went downstairs and saw the defendant standing in the living room. There was blood on the defendant and the couch. The deceased was slumped, apparently unconscious, on the couch. Andrew testified the defendant told him he had become angry and struck the deceased, but she would be all right. Andrew ran upstairs and called an ambulance. When he returned the deceased was lying in the driveway and the defendant was standing nearby. Andrew asked the defendant what he was doing, but received no response so he ran upstairs and called the police.

Andrew also testified that approximately a month and a half prior to his mother’s death the defendant had struck her, and Andrew had called the police. Andrew stated that his mother had been seeing the defendant since November of 1973. Andrew indicated the defendant generally came to the house about twice a day and was usually drinking.

Matthew Angove, younger son of the deceased, was the next witness called by the State. Matthew testified that after the defendant returned he went to his room, and the first indication he had that anything was wrong was when he heard the defendant saying his mother’s name several times. Matthew left his room and questioned his brother as to what was wrong. He then went downstairs to the living room where he saw a table knocked over and blood on the couch. He went back upstairs but returned again and looked out the patio door, where he saw his mother with bloody clothes, lying on the right hand side of the driveway. Matthew then ran upstairs to his room, and upon hearing his brother question the defendant as to where he was taking the deceased, attempted to take down the license tag number of defendant’s automobile as it was leaving.

Dr. Lee F. Beamer next testified for the State. Dr. Beamer performed an autopsy on the deceased at 11:50 a.m., January 17, 1976. He testified that there was a projectile wound in the upper inner corner of the left eye of the deceased, and that he recovered a jacketed lead projectile from the deceased’s head. On cross-examination, he stated that it was his opinion that the weapon had been fired at a distance of approximately 12 to 14 inches from the face of the deceased.

Donald E. Perryman, a Tulsa police officer, testified that he arrived at the Angove residence at approximately 3:00 a.m. on January 17, 1976. He and another officer who arrived moments later took charge of the scene. Officer Perryman stated that he and the other officer preserved all the evidence to the best of his knowledge.

Carl Gene Akins, an investigator for the Tulsa Police Department, testified that when he arrived at the scene three officers, including Officer Perryman, were present. He testified that he took charge of the scene until the senior investigator arrived.

Dempsey Shelton, a Sapulpa police officer, testified that he was acquainted with the defendant, and that at about 3:00 a.m. on January 17, 1976, he observed the defendant’s vehicle pull into a service station owned by the defendant’s father. Officer Shelton received a call from headquarters advising him that the defendant was wanted in connection with a homicide. Shelton then returned to the vicinity of the gas station and saw the defendant’s car parked in front of the home of defendant’s parents. Two other policemen, Officers Carver and Duncan, arrived on the scene. They observed the defendant standing inside a screened porch and commanded him to come out. Defendant was informed that he was under arrest, but refused to obey Officer Shelton’s order to take his hands out of his pockets. Officer Shelton testified that when the defendant was approximately two or three feet in front of them he attempted to pull a pistol from his pocket, whereupon [781]*781the officers grabbed the defendant. It required considerable force to subdue the defendant, and Officer Shelton stated that a loaded .38 revolver, with one shell spent, was taken from him. The defendant was then transported to jail by Officer Carver.

Officer Carver testified next, followed by Officer Duncan, both relating essentially the same information as had been given by Officer Shelton.

The State then rested.

The defendant called several character witnesses who indicated their belief that the defendant had a reputation for being honest and truthful.

John Weiser was called and qualified by the defense as an expert in the field of handguns. He testified that if the hammer were pulled back on the pistol, previously introduced as the weapon taken from defendant upon his arrest, to the point just before it locked there would possibly be enough force for it to fire. Mr. Wiser testified it would be unlikely that the hammer could be pulled back by catching on clothing.

Pauline Deason, wife of the defendant, testified that she had not known of the affair between the defendant and the deceased. She stated she had been married to the defendant for 25 years, and that he was not a violent man although he had struck her once the previous year.

The defendant testified that he called the deceased on the night of her death and asked if he could see her. He admitted that he had a couple of drinks before he arrived at her house, where he found a note taped to the door, which said that she had gone to the police station. The door was unlocked so he entered the house and fixed another drink. The deceased called on the telephone and the defendant spoke with her. He then went to a club and had some more drinks. When he went back to the house the deceased had returned, and they went into the living room to talk. The defendant testified that he had taken the pistol into the house, as he had on several occasions, for the purpose of leaving it there in case he was stopped on the way home. As they were talking, he played with the weapon, cocking the hammer and then pulling the trigger with his thumb on the hammer so that it came down gently. But when the deceased told him to put the pistol away he did so. Later, as he was about to leave he remembered that he had placed it in his pocket. He stated that he pulled it out to place it on a table, cocking the hammer and intending to ease it back down, when the hammer slipped and the weapon discharged. The deceased was struck in the head.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1978 OK CR 38, 576 P.2d 778, 1978 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deason-v-state-oklacrimapp-1978.