Foy v. State

194 So. 2d 856, 43 Ala. App. 524, 1966 Ala. App. LEXIS 578
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 29, 1966
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 194 So. 2d 856 (Foy v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foy v. State, 194 So. 2d 856, 43 Ala. App. 524, 1966 Ala. App. LEXIS 578 (Ala. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Judge.

Appellant was indicted for burglary in the second degree by the Grand Jury of Clarke County, Alabama. Upon arraignment in open court, appellant, accompanied by his attorney, entered a plea of not guilty. Upon trial by jury, appellant was found guilty as charged and sentenced to six years imprisonment in the State penitentiary. A motion for a new trial was denied. Appellant now appeals from the judgment of guilty and the overruling of his motion for a new trial.

The State’s first witness was W. W. Andrews who testified that he was a merchant in Jackson, Clarke County, Alabama, and that in his building located there in the name of the W. W. Andrews Supply Co., a corporation, he kept all kinds of lumber, house furnishings, paint, and building materials. He testified that he was president of the corporation and that he kept his money in a vault in the building until he could deposit it in the bank. He further testified that on the night of June 28, 1964, he received a phone call from a police sergeant and that he met the sergeant at the store and found that a “time lock” had been broken and was lying on the floor. Upon entering the building, they saw a hole in the vault and brick and mortar lying on the floor, on top of which lay a welding out[525]*525•fit. Andrews stated that he looked in the vault and found that the cash box was •missing and he testified that this box con•tained approximately $17,300.00.

Andrews further testified that he closed •the store at 5 :30 that Saturday afternoon and left the store in order and that it was .about ten minutes until four in the morning ■on Sunday when they arrived and found the door broken open; that he was mayor of the City of Jackson at the time of the burglary and had been mayor for seventeen years; and that he knew the appellant and knew that appellant had at one time worked .for the City of Jackson.

The State’s next witness was Police Officer Wade Henson of Jackson who testified that on the night of June 28, 1964, at .about ten o’clock he and his partner, Mr. Easterling, were riding in their police car and observed appellant whom the witness 'had known for several years and who had .also worked for the police department. Officer Henson also stated that he went ■off duty around one o’clock in the morning and that appellant was still in the police ■car with his partner, and they observed .appellant riding over the City of Jackson during this time and that the appellant •passed by the location of the W. W. .Andrews Supply Company.

The State’s third witness was one Charles Lawley who was presently serving two years in the county jail who testified that he had five burglary convictions, including ■the present one, and -that he had known .appellant for about three years prior to June 28, 1964. He stated that he had first seen appellant at the home of Jack Lovell in 'Prichard, Alabama, at eleven o’clock on .Saturday morning, June 28, 1964, and that -in addition to appellant and Jack Lovell, Johnny Taylor and himself and Annie Mae Stanley were there. He testified that here the plans were made for all of the parties to leave and drive to Jackson in Lovell’s .car and that they took with them a sledge hammer, crowbar, acetylene tank and -.torches, leaving Prichard about 3:30 in the afternoon and driving north to Jackson. He said that they got stuck in a mud hole for about two hours; that they then crossed the bridge and saw appellant later that night walking toward the bridge. He stated that they had to use a police car to pull appellants’ car out of the mud hole and that they, in the police car and in their own, drove back into Jackson, leaving Lovell’s car near the bridge and using appellant’s car to take the tools to the W. W. Andrews Supply Company. He further testified that they used a crowbar to “jimmy” the back door, went in and took the acetylene tank and the rest of the tools. The witness stated that he, Johnny Taylor, and Jack Lovell took turns working the brick loose and went into the vault from the side and that it took four to five hours to break through this concrete wall and three or four layers of brick. He further stated that they took the cash box containing $16,000.00 and went back to and got in appellant’s car which was parked in front of the store, drove toward the bridge and got into Jack Lovell’s car and went back toward Mobile to the home of Jack Lovell where they were joined by appellant and where they divided the money and that each got $2,900.00. The witness stated that appellant received- his share and picked up a share for. a policeman named Rudy. . ' .....

The State’s next witness was John Taylor who stated that he had been advised concerning his constitutional rights' by his attorney and by the trial court. He said substantially what the preceeding witness had said, corroborating the story of the burglary and the division of the money.

Sheriff Hybard Paul, the State’s next witness, testified that he had been Sheriff of Clarke County for three years and was Sheriff on June 28, 1964, and that he had known appellant when he had occasion to work with him and when he was a policeman for the City of Jackson. Sheriff Paul stated that he picked up a warrant for appellant’s arrest in the inferior court of ■Clarke County on August 29, 1964, and .that he and Deputy Tpm Dees arrested ap[526]*526pellant who came with them willingly to the Clarke County jail from Mobile, arriving about ten or eleven o’clock that night. He said that they did not handcuff appellant and that he was permitted to use the telephone. He said that after appellant had been advised of the nature of the charges against him, he talked freely though he had been advised of his absolute right to remain silent and that any statement made by him could be used in evidence against him.

Sheriff Paul testified further that appellant was told that he had a right to counsel and that he could use the telephone to call anyone he desired. He said that appellant, with no promise or hope of reward and with no threats to induce him to talk, admitted his participation in the burglary and was taken the next morning before a magistrate and asked that bond be set and waived preliminary, and bond was set at $2,500.00. The witness stated that appellant had cried and said that he was sorry to bring this on his family and hoped that he could get probation.

Next, appellant took the stand on voir dire in his own behalf and contradicted the testimony of Sheriff Paul by saying that he was kept in a cell, was not advised of his right to counsel, nor was he cautioned that any statement made could be used against him, nor was he offerred an opportunity to use the telephone.

On cross-examination, appellant admitted that he went into the house where his wife was and told her that he was going to Clarke County and that they had a warrant for his arrest and he later admitted telephoning his brother concerning his bail.

Appellant’s next witness was his brother, Jerry Foy, who told of receiving a telephone call from the Sheriff’s office in Clarke County and he said that he attempted to call appellant earlier that day but was told by an unfamiliar voice that he could not speak with him.

Next the State recalled Sheriff Paul who testified that appellant had not been denied an opportunity to use the telephone or to talk with his brother, nor had there been any call to the appellant prior to his placing the call to his brother. The Sheriff then identified Deputies Knight and Tarleton who were on duty and present when appellant was brought to the jail.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Tucker v. State
429 So. 2d 1165 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1983)
Anderson v. State
362 So. 2d 1296 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1978)
Foy v. State
194 So. 2d 860 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 So. 2d 856, 43 Ala. App. 524, 1966 Ala. App. LEXIS 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foy-v-state-alactapp-1966.