Doolin v. State

1949 OK CR 121, 212 P.2d 136, 90 Okla. Crim. 188, 1949 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 255
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 23, 1949
DocketNo. A-11031.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1949 OK CR 121 (Doolin 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
Doolin v. State, 1949 OK CR 121, 212 P.2d 136, 90 Okla. Crim. 188, 1949 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 255 (Okla. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

POWELL, J.

The defendant, Eaymond Doolin, was charged by information filed in the superior court of Creek county with the crime of unlawful sale of intoxicating liquor, was tried before a jury, convicted and sentenced to serve a term of 30 days in the county jail and to pay a fine of $100, and has appealed.

Eor a reversal of this case, three assignments of error are presented: (1) Court’s refusal to sustain defendant’s motion for mistrial after an independent and highly prejudicial exhibit had been offered as evidence and displayed to the jury, together with testimony alluding to its relation with defendant; (2) failure of the court to include in his instructions to the jurors an instruction directing them not to consider the incompetent and highly prejudicial exhibit submitted and openly displayed before the jury by the county attorney and prosecuting witnesses; and (3) error of the court in not sustaining defendant’s motion for mistrial because of the improper and prejudicial remarks outside the record made by the assistant county attorney in the closing argument of said cause, to which defendant objected and the court refused to admonish the jury not to consider the same.

No contention is made as to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict of guilty.

The information charged that on or about July 16, 1947, the defendant sold and delivered to O. W. Webb one pint of “Old Grand-Dad” whisky. The proof on *190 the part of the state showed that O. W. Webb was a minister of the gospel, formerly of Bristow, then residing in Tnlsa, but currently conducting a revival meeting at Drumright; that on the 16th day of July, 1947, and at about 10:30 in the evening, after services at Drumright, and accompanied by Rev. Homer Gaines, Rev. Webb entered the Oilton Bar at Oilton, operated by Raymond Doolin, the defendant, and found defendant and three other men sitting in a booth playing cards; that he had conversation with defendant. The witness stated:

“I walked in and asked him if he had any GrandDad whisky, and he said ‘yes’, and I said ‘Have you got a pint?’ and he said ‘yes’ and he got out of the booth and walked back to his bar and stepped in a little anteroom and came out with this pint of whisky here.”

A pint of Old Grand-Dad whisky was in view of the jury and the same was marked “State’s Exhibit A” and the county attorney handed the same to Rev. Webb to be identified, the witness stating that he paid the defendant $5 for the whisky, and that he wrote the date and time of purchase on the label at the time of purchase, but when witness went to read the identification he stated that he had the wrong pint, and that Rev. Gaines, who was another state witness and who was just outside the courtroom, had the pint purchased from defendant, and the county attorney asked him if he wanted to withdraw the bottle in question and offer the right bottle, and he answered:

“Yes, sir, it is an error. This bottle of Old GrandDad whisky was purchased at a different place, and to be sure I wrote on it. Mr. Gaines is standing outside. He has one and I have the other.”

The county attorney further asked the witness: “And you don’t want to identify this defendant with the sale *191 of this whisky in any way, shape or form or fashion? A. That is right.” The witness was permitted to step outside the courtroom and obtain a second bottle of Old Grand-Dad whisky whch he identifed from marks thereon as being the pint purchased from the defendant.

Rev. Homer Gaines testified that he accompanied Rev. Webb to the Oilton Bar and witnessed him purchase a pint of Old Grand-Dad whisky from the defendant, substantially corroborating the testimony of Rev. Webb in all particulars. At the commencement of his testimony counsel for defendant objected to the first pint of Old Grand-Dad whisky being kept in view of the jury and the county attorney agreed to and did then conceal it. Counsel for defendant sought a mistrial, but this was denied. Witness stated that right after the purchase Rev. Webb wrote “Oilton Bar” and the date on the bottle of whisky purchased from the defendant. The state rested, and the defendant moved that the case be dismissd and the motion was overruled, and the court stated:

“The court will deny the motion to dismiss the charge, but wishes to state to the jury in connection with the bottle of whisky that was first exhibited to the jury through error, that the jury should not consider any fact in relation to that first bottle of whisky exhibited through error. The defendant in this case is only charged with the sale of one pint of whisky and the jury should not be prejudiced against the defendant because of the bottle of whisky which was exhibited to you that was not purchased from this defendant — it is admitted by the witnesses that the first bottle of whisky exhibited was not purchased from this defendant.”

The defendant used three witnesses besides himself. He testified that he was born near Oilton and had lived in Oilton since 1936; that he had never been convicted of crime in Oklahoma; that he remembered Rev. Webb *192 coming to his place of business, defendant testifying: “He came in; I got up from a booth and walked over behind the bar and he asked me for a pint of whisky, and I told him I didn’t sell it.

“Q. What did he do? A. He stood there a minute and turned around and walked out. Q. Was there anyone with him? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you know that man? A. No, sir.”

Defendant further testified that he was playing pitch when Rev. Webb came in; that he ran a beer parlor and had pitch games going on there at the same time, and that he had never seen the whisky introduced in evidence, until it was introduced.

Orb Hulsey testified for the defendant, stating that he was playing pitch with him and a man by the name of Ramsey and one by the name of Scott; that he saw Rev. Webb when he came in defendant’s place, did not know him, but that defendant told him who Rev. Webb was after he left; that someone was with Rev. Webb; that witness did not see the defendant sell Rev. Webb any whisky; that he did not hear the conversation between defendant and Rev. Webb, and that the parties were in plain view of him.

Ed Haney was used by defendant as a character witness, testifying that he was acquainted with defendant’s reputation in the community in which he lived for being a peaceable and law-abiding citizen and that his reputation was good. Witness on cross-examination could not testify as to the defendant’s reputation for operating a place where whisky was sold.

F. E. Pope was used by defendant as a character witness, testifying that he had known defendant 15 or 20 years and that he had a reputation in the community as *193 being a peaceable and law-abiding citizen. On cross-examination, among others, the following questions were asked and answers given:

“Q. You have lived there and you know him and you know his place of business? A. Yes, sir. I was in business there eight or ten years. Q. Have you ever heard they sold liquor there? A. I might have'heard it, but I don’t know who told me. I don’t know a thing about it. Q.

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Related

Nance v. State
838 P.2d 513 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)
Mooney v. State
1954 OK CR 54 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1954)
Walker v. State
1953 OK CR 170 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1953)
Hays Trucking Co. v. Maxwell
1953 OK 245 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1953)
Perry v. State
1951 OK CR 115 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1951)
Ballard v. State
1950 OK CR 138 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1950)
Tilghman v. Burns
1950 OK CR 70 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1949 OK CR 121, 212 P.2d 136, 90 Okla. Crim. 188, 1949 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doolin-v-state-oklacrimapp-1949.