Dukes v. State

1972 OK CR 177, 499 P.2d 471, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 551
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 28, 1972
DocketNo A-15771
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1972 OK CR 177 (Dukes 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
Dukes v. State, 1972 OK CR 177, 499 P.2d 471, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 551 (Okla. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

SIMMS, Judge:

Matthew D. Dukes, appellant, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was convicted in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, of the crime of Murder, and was sentenced to a term of Life Imprisonment in accordance with the jury verdict. From the judgment and sentence, defendant has perfected a timely appeal to this Court.

Evidence adduced at trial showed that defendant, on August 1, 1964, called a taxi-cab to his residence at the Tower Apartments, N. W. 9th and Robinson, Oklahoma City, and rode in the cab to the home of his former wife, which was located in Midwest City. The evidence further indicated that the former wife of defendant had re-married Walter Graham Harding.

When defendant arrived at the home of his former wife and her husband in Midwest City, Harding and defendant’s former wife were sitting on the front porch of the home. Defendant got out of the cab and walked toward the front porch of the residence carrying in his belt, underneath the shirt, a .22 cal. revolver. As defendant proceeded toward the front porch of the home being occupied by deceased and his wife, the deceased, Harding, got out of a chair and started in the front door of the house. Harding then turned around at which point, defendant emptied the gun in the direction of Harding, striking Harding four times, causing Harding’s death.

[473]*473After defendant had shot and killed Harding, he put the death weapon in his pocket and started in the direction of the Midwest City Police Station. On his way to the station, defendant was arrested by Midwest City Police Officers.

Further evidence was introduced to show that on or about July 17th or 18th, defendant had gone to the home of his former wife, where he observed his former wife in bed with Harding, and they were drinking a fifth of whiskey. At that time, an altercation occurred in the house between the defendant and Harding. An assault charge against defendant arose out of this incident.

Defendant, testifying in his own behalf, admitted that he had, following the July incident, purchased the .22 cal. death weapon; admitting as well, the shooting of deceased on the day in question, and testified that he disapproved of the treatment of his natural sons by the deceased. Defendant further testified that he was fearful of what Harding might do in the event of a confrontation, by reason of a threat communicated to the defendant by Harding following the July 17th or 18th incident.

The principal theory of defense' was temporary insanity.

The record reflects that defendant had served a term in the United States Navy from October 2, 1945, until February 19, 1949. Defendant, according to the transcript, re-enlisted in the Marine Corps in September, 1950, and was thereafter sent to Korea. As a result of a military engagement in the Korean conflict, defendant received a head wound causing the loss of one eye and brain damage.

The record further reflects that defendant, because of his valor in the military engagement, was awarded the Navy Cross, and in addition thereto, holds the Purple Heart.

In support of the theory of defense, temporary insanity, defendant presented as one of his witnesses, Dr. Cecil Childers, a psychiatrist of Corpus Christi, Texas. Dr. Childers had formerly been employed at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Oklahoma City, and the University of Oklahoma Medical Unit. Dr. Childers described the nature and effect of the bullet wound defendant had received in Korea, and testified that defendant suffered “temporal lobe epilepsy” which was comparable to “petit-mal seizures” when the patient doesn’t lose consciousness; but he testified that on occasions, the defendant had in the past lost consciousness.

The medical expert further testified that on the day in question, defendant could have experienced temporary insanity, but the expert was unable to say whether or not he did. (Tr. 74) The doctor stated, however, that he did not consider the defendant to be psychotic. (Tr. 79)

Other witnesses were called to testify as to defendant’s expressed concern over the treatment his sons were receiving at the hands of his former wife and their step-father. Also, testimony was forthcoming from witnesses that defendant was a rather eccentric person and had done such things as attempt to get assistance from the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the President of the United States, and on one occasion, had attempted to personally contact the then Governor of the State of Oklahoma over a grievance defendant had.

Additional evidence, in support of defendant’s theory of defense, was that in 1949 defendant was hospitalized in a State Mental Institution from which he walked away.

Defendant first asserts in his brief, that the trial court committed error when the Judge denied defendant a separate jury trial on the issue of his present sanity.

The controlling statute is 22 O.S.1971, § 1162, which reads as follows:

“When an indictment or information is called for trial, or upon conviction the defendant is brought up for judgment, if a doubt arise as to the sanity of the defendant, the court must order a jury to be empanelled from the jurors summoned and returned for the term, or who may [474]*474be summoned by direction of the court, to inquire into the fact.”

In the case at bar, prior to the empanell-ing of a jury to try the issue of guilt or innocence, defense counsel made a timely demand for a separate jury to try the issue of present sanity. The state objected to the calling of a separate jury, whereupon the trial court sustained the objection by the state and made the following observation :

“The Court finds that on September 29, 1969, that the defendant by and thru his attorney, Leo Thompson, applied for psychiatric examination and thereafter on the 3rd day of October, 1969, the defendant was committed to the Eastern Hospital at Vinita, Oklahoma, not to exceed sixty days by Judge Charles Owens; that thereafter on the 4th day of November, 1969, that D. H. Peterson, M.D., Superintendent of the Eastern State Hospital at Vinita, Oklahoma, reported to the court that in the opinion of the staff at the hospital, the defendant was ‘not psychotic at this time and is able to distinguish between right and wrong and we feel he would be able to adequately assist legal counsel in his own behalf’; and that previously on the 3rd day of August, 1964, the defendant, Matthew D. Dukes, had previously been ordered to Eastern State Hospital at Vini-ta, Oklahoma for observation and examination and at that time he was found by the staff at said hospital to be ‘not psychotic at this time and we feel that he does know the difference between right and wrong and could adequately aid legal counsel in his own defense.’ The court having observed the defendant and having heard the motion is of the opinion it would serve no useful purpose to grant defendant jury trial on the question of his present sanity.”

Unquestionably, if a doubt had arisen in the mind of the trial court, there was a mandatory duty to have a hearing on the question of the present sanity of defendant. Tuggle v. State, 73 Okl.Cr. 208, 119 P.2d 857 (1941).

This Court, however, held in Johnson v. State, Okl.Cr., 448 P.2d 266 (1969), opinion by Brett, Judge :

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Related

Lawrence v. State
454 S.E.2d 446 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1995)
Burrows v. State
1982 OK CR 6 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1982)
Grist v. State
1973 OK CR 253 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1972 OK CR 177, 499 P.2d 471, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dukes-v-state-oklacrimapp-1972.