Dobbs v. State

85 S.W.2d 694, 191 Ark. 236, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 242
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 8, 1935
DocketNo. CR 3939
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 85 S.W.2d 694 (Dobbs v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dobbs v. State, 85 S.W.2d 694, 191 Ark. 236, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 242 (Ark. 1935).

Opinion

Smith, J.

Fannie and Louisa Orr, two sisters, elderly ladies, lived in a rural community, with their nearest neighbor about a mile away. Appellant went to their home about dark, and demanded money, and, when he was given about $160, he insisted that this was not all the money the ivomen had. The women asked him to- take the money and leave them alone, but he said dead people told no tales, and he proceeded to beat both women with a stick of stove wood. After beating Fannie Orr into insensibility, he cut her throat. He beat Louisa Orr also and attempted to cut her throat. Appellant set fire to the house, and left it burning, and it was entirely destroyed. Fannie was dead when he left. Fortunately, Louisa’s throat was only lacerated and she was able to drag the body of her sister out of the house before it was consumed by the fire. The identification of appellant was complete as the perpetrator of the crime. He was tried and convicted for the murder of Fannie Orr and given a death sentence. The sufficiency of the testimony to prove the commission of the homicide is not questioned, but insanity at the time of the commission of the crime was interposed as a defense. It is not insisted that there was any error in the instructions which submitted that question to the jury.

It is first insisted that error was committed in refusing to.quash the indictment because of the presence of A. B. Cornett as a member of the grand jury which returned the indictment. The record recites the following proceedings in impaneling the grand jury: “Whereupon Frank Dobbs, who was being held to await the action of the prospective grand jury, was brought before the court, and the court asked him if there was any one of the prospective grand jurors whom he wished challenged. Whereupon the said Frank Dobbs did then and there challenge A. B. Cornett. Whereupon the court overruled the said challenge of the said A. B. Cornett by the said Frank Dobbs.” It is insisted that the right to challenge the juror Cornett should have been accorded because of the bias and prejudice of the juror against appellant. This, however, is not a ground upon which the right to challenge a grand juror could be predicated. The statute upon that subject reads as follows: “Every person held to answer a criminal charge may object to the competency of any one summoned to serve as a grand juror, before he is sworn, on the ground that he is the prosecutor or complainant upon any charge against such person, or that he is a witness on the part of the prosecution, and has been summoned or bound in a recognizance as such; and, if such, objection be established, the person so challenged shall be set aside.” Crawford & Moses’ Digest, § 3005.

In the case of Threet v. State, 110 Ark. 152, 161 S. W. 139, the defendant had been indicted while confined in jail without being afforded the opportunity to challenge the competency of any member of the grand jury. But this was held not to be erroneous when it was not made to appear that the accused had been denied the benefit of some right secured by the statute quoted. The statute conferred no right to challenge Cornett because of his bias or prejudice.

At the conclusion of the testimony on the part of the State showing.the commission of the homicide by appellant, testimony Avas offered on liis behalf tending to sIioav that he was insane. A number of non-expert Avitnesses Avere introduced, who, after stating’ the facts upon Avhich their opinions Avere based, expressed the opinion that appellant Avas insane. Tavo physicians were called, Avho testified as experts in his behalf. These were Doctors E. E. EoAAdand and E. T. Ponder.

Dr. EoAAdand Avas asked his opinion about appellant’s sanity, based upon a hypothetical question, and expressed the opinion that the facts therein stated indicated that the person inquired about Avas of abnormal mind. He admitted that he made no examination of appellant, and declined to say Avhether appellant Avas sane or insane.

Dr. Ponder did make a personal and physical examination of appellant of two hours’ duration, and he expressed the opinion that appellant Avas insane. He stated that this opinion AATas based upon appellant’s personal and family history (including' the fact that two of his mother’s brothers had been insane), his oavii examination of appellant, and the testimony which he had heard in the case. He expressed the opinion that appellant Avas suffering from dementia praecox, Avhich is a form of insanity.

It is very earnestly insisted that error was committed in refusing to permit Professor C. C. Denney to ansAver the hypothetical question which had been propounded to and answered by Dr. Eowland. This witness testified that he Avas a graduate of Valparaiso University, and had done three years’ postgraduate work in Peabody Teachers College, and had taught psychology in the State Teachers College for twenty-five years, and that the science which he taught included the subject of. insanity. The court held that the witness had not been properly qualified to testify as an expert, and that ruling is assigned as error.

The AAÚtness AAas asked this question: “Q. Professor, in the study of your Vocation and in the practice of it you. are capable of forming’ an opinion about whether or not an individual is sane or insane if you have heard history and actions reiterated to you, are you not?” He ansAvered the question as folloAvs: “A. I would not like to pass judgment unless I knew their kind of habits and the courses they have pursued. I think we would have some right to presume that I would have. ” Upon making this answer permission was asked to propound the hypothetical question. The answer quoted indicates that the witness was unwilling to answer, because he was unable to pass judgment unless he knew the habits of appellant and “the courses they have pursued.” Had the witness possessed this information, which he admitted he did not have, he, like other witnesses who testified on behalf of appellant, should have been permitted to testify as a non-expert, basing his opinion on these observations.

It was held, in the case of Hankins v. State, 133 Ark. 63, 201 S. W. 832, that it was error to admit the testimony of nonexpert witnesses who gave their opinion as to the sanity of the accused without stating any facts upon which they based their opinions and without showing that they were qualified to express such an opinion by stating the facts upon which the opinions were based. The converse of this rule is true. Such testimony may be admitted where the witness shows that he has had the opportunity to associate with and to observe the accused to an extent sufficient to form an opinion as to the accused’s sanity. He may then state what that opinion is, the value of such testimony being, of course, a question for the jury. But this witness was not asked to give testimony of that character. He had not had this opportunity, as his answer indicated that he did not feel qualified, lacking it, to express an expert opinion.

We do not decide, however, that the testimony would have been competent had he stated that he was qualified to answer the hypothetical question. The law does not permit the witness himself to pass upon his qualifications to testify as an expert. This is a question for the court.

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Bluebook (online)
85 S.W.2d 694, 191 Ark. 236, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 242, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dobbs-v-state-ark-1935.