Hawkins v. State

37 N.E.2d 79, 219 Ind. 116, 1941 Ind. LEXIS 219
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 5, 1941
DocketNo. 27,534.
StatusPublished
Cited by80 cases

This text of 37 N.E.2d 79 (Hawkins v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hawkins v. State, 37 N.E.2d 79, 219 Ind. 116, 1941 Ind. LEXIS 219 (Ind. 1941).

Opinion

Rich man, J.

Appellant was convicted of murder in the perpetration of a robbery and sentenced to be electrocuted. The errors assigned will be considered in the order presented by the briefs.

November 13, 1940, by agreement of the parties the case was set for trial on the 16th day of December thereafter and appellant’s request for a special venire of 75 talesmen was granted. The trial began at 9 *121 o’clock a. m. on the date set and the regular panel and the special venire of 75 were exhausted. During the day appellant’s motion for a second special venire of 25 talesmen was granted, the jurors were drawn instanter and the sheriff directed to summon them for the following morning. At that time selection of the jury was continued but before the end of the day the special venire of 25 was exhausted. During the second day appellant by oral motion requested another special venire of 25, which motion was overruled, and the court directed the sheriff to select the remaining talesmen from “bystanders or citizens of the county,” as permitted by § 4-3308, Burns’ 1933, § 1279, Baldwin’s 1934, when for various reasons named in the statute “no traverse jury shall be present.” Appellant exhausted his twenty peremptory challenges. The record does not show that after his motion for a special venire was overruled he made further objection to any “bystander” talesman. How many of the members of the jury were from “bystanders” does not appear. It is not charged that any of the persons so selected was not a competent juror. Nor is it made to appear that either party was denied the right to challenge any such talesman for any of the numerous causes provided in § 9-1504, Burns’ 1933, § 2254, Baldwin’s 1934.

The right to a special venire is not absolute but under the statute, § 4-3309, Burns’ 1933, § 1271, Baldwin’s 1934, rests in the discretion of the trial court. While neither Harlan v. State (1921), 190 Ind. 322, 130 N. E. 413, nor Crickmore v. State (1938), 213 Ind. 586, 12 N. E. (2d) 266, presents the same factual situation as this case, we think the reasoning of these cases is applicable and that, no abuse of discretion appearing, the alleged error is not available to appellant.

*122 He cites only two cases. The first, Hicks v. State (1927), 199 Ind. 401, 156 N. E. 548, is not in point. The other, Silverman v. State (1927), 199 Ind. 225, 156 N. E. 549, is distinguishable. The court therein recognized that the exercise of the power to call a special venire “requires that the court act within the confines of a sound discretion” but held that the trial court determined the necessity for such venire by ordering the sheriff to summon a panel of thirty bystanders, five more than in the special venire requested, and that the necessity so found to exist did not warrant the trial judge in ordering their selection in a manner different from that prescribed in the statute. It also appears from the opinion that the motion and the order to the sheriff occurred several days before the day set for trial. In the case at bar the motion was made toward the end of the second of two days devoted to examination of talesmen. There may then have been in the jury box eleven jurors tentatively accepted. If so, the judge might reasonably have considered unnecessary a special venire of 25 to obtain one juror. Even if more than one was to be obtained we cannot say from the record that the judge abused his discretion in denying the motion.

Misconduct of two jurors, William Robison and, George E. Judd, is charged. Robison’s conduct was made the subject of a verified motion praying that the cause be withdrawn from the jury, which was overruled. In his motion for a new trial appellant again raised the question as to Robison and for the first time as to Judd. In each case the misconduct alleged was that after he was accepted as a juror but before he had heard any evidence he expressed the opinion that appellant was guilty and should be given the death penalty. Affidavits and *123 counter-affidavits were filed and on the motion for a new trial evidence was heard including that of the two jurors, each of whom denied the alleged misconduct. Appellant’s attorneys exercised their right of cross-examination at this hearing. The trial court in overruling the motion for a new trial evidently decided there was no misconduct. We cannot override his conclusion on a question of fact where there was conflicting evidence, McCallister v. State (1940), 217 Ind. 65, 26 N. E. (2d) 391; Anderson v. State (1933), 205 Ind. 607, 186 N. E. 316; Clodfelder v. State (1926), 198 Ind. 277, 151 N. E. 725.

The record discloses that juror Judd was chosen from the second special venire. The names of the talesmen in that and the first special venire appear in the record. The names of the members of the regular panel do not appear. We are therefore unable to determine whether Robison was a member of the regular panel or a “bystander.” ■ Neither the affidavits-nor the testimony on the motion for new trial disclose how he was selected. There was no testimony indicating that he made false answers when he was being questioned as to his qualifications to sit as a juror. If he was a “bystander” we may assume from the state of the record that he was then acceptable, except as his. right to serve ■ was challenged generally by the motion for a special venire. Appellant has no valid complaint either as to manner of selection or the personnel of the jury.

One of the witnesses called by the state was Clementine Luttrell. After she had been examined and cross-examined she was dismissed. Later after other witnesses had been examined, appellant asked that she be recalled for further cross-examination and five ques *124 tions were asked, to each of which the state’s objection was sustained. Appellant claims error in these rulings.

The first was clearly improper. She was asked if she had not been “charged in the Clark Circuit Court as an accessory or accomplice in this charge of the murder of Edmund Davis.” The purpose of the question could only be to affect her credibility as her identity was not in question. As said in Petro v. State (1933), 204 Ind. 401, 412, 184 N. E. 710, 713, “the mere fact that a person has been arrested or a charge been placed against him is no evidence of his guilt, and should not be the basis of a question to affect his credibility as a witness.”

The next three questions in varying language all ask the same thing in substance, whether she was promised immunity from a murder charge if she would testify in this case. After objection to one of them had been sustained the record shows the following:

“The Court: She has answered this morning, Mr. Turner, that she was not influenced on any promise. You can ask her anything on cross-examination attacking her credibility as a witness.
“Mr. Turner: I have to ask these questions for the record. I know they are going to be overruled.
“The Court: Why ask them ? Go ahead.”

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Bluebook (online)
37 N.E.2d 79, 219 Ind. 116, 1941 Ind. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hawkins-v-state-ind-1941.