Hyslop v. State

68 N.W.2d 698, 159 Neb. 802, 1955 Neb. LEXIS 182
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 18, 1955
Docket33649
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 68 N.W.2d 698 (Hyslop v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hyslop v. State, 68 N.W.2d 698, 159 Neb. 802, 1955 Neb. LEXIS 182 (Neb. 1955).

Opinion

Wenke, J.

This is an error proceeding from the district court *804 for Hall County. In the district court for Hall County a jury found plaintiff in error, David Hyslop, guilty of operating his motor vehicle upon a public highway of that county at a rate of sp.eed in excess of 60 miles an hour, which is in violation of the provisions of section 39-723, R. R. S. 1943. His motion for new trial having been overruled and a sentence of 30 days in jail imposed, plaintiff in error instituted this proceeding to review the record of his conviction. ' For convenience we shall herein refer to the plaintiff in error as defendant.

Ervin C. Molcyk, a member of the Nebraska Safety Patrol, arrested the defendant about 4:30 p. m. on January 19, 1954, in Hall County. He testified that immediately preceding defendant’s arrest he followed defendant’s car, which was being’ driven by defendant, for a considerable distance along U. S. Highway No'. 30; that defendant then turned his car off U. S. Highway No. 30 onto a county road; that the county road is in Hall County; that he followed the defendant’s car on this county road; and that for at least three-fourths of a mile it was driven by defendant at the rate of 75 miles an hour. There can be no question as to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction.

Defendant raises several questions which he seeks to support by information contained in affidavits and a telegram. These affidavits and telegram are found in the transcript and not in the bill of exceptions. In this situation the following is applicable: “Affidavits used as evidence on the hearing of an issue of fact must be offered in evidence in the trial court and embodied in a bill of exceptions to be available to plaintiff in error in this court.” Darlington v. State, 153 Neb. 274, 44 N. W. 2d 468. See, also, Mulder v. State, 152 Neb. 795’, 42 N. W. 2d 858.

Consequently we will not discuss any facts contained in these affidavits and the telegram.

Defendant contends it was reversible error for the jury to return its verdict and be dismissed without de *805 fendant or his attorney being present. 23 C. J. S., Criminal Law, § 1450, p. 1214, states the general rule in this regard as follows: “Generally a new trial will be granted when a verdict is received in the absence of the judge, or of accused and his sole counsel, unless the irregularity is waived.” See, also, § 29-2024, R. R. S. 1943; Longfellow v. State, 10 Neb. 105, 4 N. W. 420.

The record of the proceedings had on May 17, 1954, includes the following: “Oral arguments made, jury instructed in writing and at 2:20 P. M. jury retired in charge of sworn officer; At 4:40 P. M. jury returned into court with a verdict which was filed and read to the jury and they announced that it was their unanimous verdict. Verdict finds defendant guilty as charged. Jury discharged.”

We held in Darlington v. State, supra: “All presumptions exist in favor of the regularity and correctness of the orders and judgments of courts of general jurisdiction, and he who asserts the contrary is required to establish the alleged defect or error by an exhibition of the record. Salistean v. State, 115 Neb.. 838, 215 N. W. 107, 53 A. L. R. 1057; Wright v. State, supra.”

We have often said: “Where the record in a criminal prosecution discloses that the defendant was present during the trial, but is silent as to whether he was present when the verdiet was received, it will be presumed that the verdict was properly received and that the defendant was present in court at the time.” Feddern v. State, 79 Neb. 651, 113 N. W. 127.

As early as Folden v. State, 13 Neb. 328, 14 N. W. 412, we said: “Where the record once shows the presence of the prisoner at his trial, it will be presumed to have continued to the end unless the contrary is affirmatively shown. The presumption is, rather, that the trial court did its duty, than that it did not. We see no error in the record that calls for a new trial, and the judgment must be affirmed.” See, also, Bolln v. State, 51 Neb. 581, 71 N. W. 444.

*806 The contrary is not here affirmatively shown.

As to the waiver of such right in a misdemeanor case, see § 29-2001, R. R. S. 1943; Scott v. State, 113 Neb. 657, 204 N. W. 381; Peterson v. State, 64 Neb. 875, 90 N. W. 964; State v. Waymire, 52 Or. 281, 97 P. 46, 132 Am. S. R. 699, 21 L. R. A. N. S. 56; Annotation, 100 A. L. R. 486.

As stated in State v. Waymire, supra: “The right, however, is conferred upon him for his own protection and benefit, and, like many other rights accorded him by law, may be waived, either expressly or impliedly; and by the weight of authority, when a defendant charged with a misdemeanor is on bail, and is present either in person or by his counsel at the commencement of and during the trial, until the cause is submitted to the jury, and afterwards voluntarily departs from the court before its adjournment and without leave, he will be deemed to have waived the right to be present on the rendition of the verdict, and it may be legally received in his absence. 12 Cyc. 528; 22 Enc. PI. & Pr. 929. Indeed, many of the courts hold that this rule will apply in a trial for a felony. Frey v. Calhoun Circuit Judge, 107 Mich. 130 (64 N. W. 1047); Commonwealth v. McCarthy, 163 Mass. 458 (40 N. E. 766); Sahlinger v. People, 102 Ill. 241; State v. Way, 76 Kan. 928 (93 Pac. 159). The theory is that it is the duty of the defendant to be present until the close of the trial, and if he voluntarily absents himself the court is not obliged to await his pleasure, but may proceed without him.”

The record fails to show such leave was obtained from the court.

Defendant says the jury not only returned a verdict of guilty but that the jury foreman apparently signed a verdict finding the defendant not guilty. He contends this created an ambiguity by leaving a doubt as to which verdict was and is the true verdict of the jury, and which one they intended to return. In support of this contention he cites the principle that “Verdicts *807 in criminal cases should be certain and import a definite meaning free from ambiguity.” Keeler v. State, 73 Neb. 441, 103 N. W. 64. However, this is qualified by the following sentence: “If the meaning of the verdict in the light of the whole record is clear, beyond any reasonable doubt, it is sufficient.” In the opinion the court goes on to say: “To determine the meaning of the verdict all the parts of the record must be taken into consideration; the indictment and instructions, and in-some instances, as in this case, the polling of the jury may be considered. If upon the whole record, so construed, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that the jury found the defendant or defendants, who were being tried, guilty of the charge contained in the indictment, the verdict is sufficiently definite.”

M. E.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 N.W.2d 698, 159 Neb. 802, 1955 Neb. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hyslop-v-state-neb-1955.