Johnson v. State

1942 OK CR 16, 121 P.2d 625, 73 Okla. Crim. 370, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 21, 1942
DocketNo. A-9984.
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 1942 OK CR 16 (Johnson 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
Johnson v. State, 1942 OK CR 16, 121 P.2d 625, 73 Okla. Crim. 370, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190 (Okla. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

JONES, J.

The defendant, Ben Johnson, was charged 'by information in the district court of Carter county with the crime of rape in the first- degree, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to serve 25 years- in the State Penitentiary, and has appealed.

The first assignment of error is the contention that the trial court erred in refusing to grant to the defendant a sanity hearing as requested and set out by the laws of the State of Oklahoma.

The defendant was charged with rape of a twelve year old girl. Upon his arraignment, the following proceedings occurred:

“By Mr. Ogden, of counsel for defendant: Mr. Evans, Mr. Wallace and myself appear as counsel for the defendant. As your Honor knows, there are two methods of *373 raising this question of insanity. I don’t think this defendant is sane now. We want to now ask that he be tried by a jury for his sanity. The statute states that, if there is any question about his sanity, that you can’t try an insane man for his crime. We now make the request that he be tried by a jury for his sanity at this time. By the Court: He has to be arraigned before you can find out what his plea is. By Mr. Ogden: If he is insane you can’t arraign an insane man. Of course, the burden is upon us to show it. By the Court: Let, me see the statute on that. By Mr. Ogden: I didn’t bring the statute on that, but we will get it. * * By the Court: The only question now before the court is as to whether or not he should be arraigned. This act you have been reading there Avas amended in 1935, Where in any criminal action * * * the defense of insanity is interposed’, we will arraign him at this time. Let him be arraigned. By Mr. Ogden: We Avant to except to him being arraigned on the ground that he is incapable of being arraigned, or of knOAving what to do. By the Court: Stand up, Ben Johnson, and listen to what they read to you. (At this point Mr. Bruce, county attorney, proceeded to read the Information in open court to the defendant.) By the Court: Now, then, Judge, I will hear you at this time. By Mr. Ogden: It is merely my contention from these authorities that AAdien a man is charged with a crime, AAdien it is called to the attention of the court, which may even be by a bystander, that the man is insane, we think under those circumstances that an insane person is incapable of being arraigned; therefore, Ave think that the proper procedure is to impanel a jury and try him for his sanity now, to determine as to Avhether or not he is insane, in this case that is the way Ave view it, that is what these authorities hold. By Mr. Bruce: It is our contention that by the verdict of the jury, they can so state by their verdict whether or not he is insane, according to 1935. By the Court: I will let him interpose at this: time a plea of not guilty. By Mr. Ogden: We Avould rather the record shoAV that under our contention he is incapable of pleading,. By the Court: Let the record show that the *374 attorney for the defendant announces the defendant is incapable of pleading, and then the court interposes for and on his behalf a plea of not guilty. Then if he is entitled to an insanity hearing, he can get it then.”

On September 24, 1940, when the cause came on regularly for trial, counsel for defendant filed a written request for a sanity hearing, which reads as follows:

“Comes now the above-named defendant, by and through his attorneys, and shows to this Honorable Court that the said defendant herein is mentally incompetent to make a rational defense in this cause and hereby requests this Honorable Court to grant to him a sanity hearing, before a jury, as required by law; and in support of said motion and request this defendant would show to this Honorable Court that the said defendant herein hasi been afflicted with pellagra and other diseases for a great number of years and with paralysis of the throat; and that the said paralysis has affected his. mind and mental ability and that in addition thereto he has heredity insanity and has never been a normal human being and that his brother is now confined in the insane asylum in the State of Texas in the Rusk State Hospital at Rusk, Texas; and defendant now says through his attorneys that he is wholly incompetent and unable to make a, rational defense .in this cause; and that he now demands and requests that he be given a sanity hearing before a jury as by law provided.”

In support of said request there is attached an affidavit of the wife of the defendant, as follows:

“Mrs. Jennie Johnson, of lawful age, after having first been duly sworn upon oath, says that she is the wife of the defendant herein and that she and the said defendant have been married for a period of almost nineteen (19) years; and that during February, 1940, the said defendant was complaining of serious trouble to his head and complaining of having dizzy spells and of being highly nervous; and that he went to the county health doctor as she is informed and verily believes; and that the county *375 health doctor examined him and that the county health doctor, at that time, was Dr. William A. Loy and that the said Dr. Loy recommended that he go to the University Hospital at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for examination and for treatment; and that the said defendant went to said hospital for examination and treatment and that upon his return, this affiant is informed and believes the said defendant was hit over the head by officers in Oklahoma City; and that since said time the said defendant herein was highly nervous and would get up in the nighttime and run out into the dark and also would run from the house in the daytime and acted queer; and that this affiant believes and therefore states to the best of her knowledge and belief that the said defendant herein is mentally incompetent to make a rational defense in this cause; affiant further states that the said Ben Johnson has suffered in her opinion from mental disease and mental trouble for a great number of years; and that his brother, Ozie Johnson, is now confined in the state insane hospital of the State of Texas in the Rusk Hospital and has been there for a period of approximately 15 years.”

When this request was presented to the court, counsel for defendant dictated a long statement into the record, reciting a personal belief that the defendant had hereditary insanity, directing'; the court’s attention to the fact that the defendant’s brother had been in the state insane asylum in Texas for years, and that by reason of various actions and statements in the presence of counsel that counsel Avas firmly of the opinion that' the defendant is insane, and asked the court to> send the defendant to the state hospital at Norman, where he could be under observation of mental specialists.

The request of counsel that the defendant be sent to the state hospital for observation was denied, and the request for a sanity hearing was denied; and the defend *376 ant, over objection and exception of Ms counsel, was forced to trial.

During’ the trial the state produced evidence showing without dispute that the defendant had committed the crime with which he stood charged.

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Related

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1995 OK CR 77 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1995)
Bryson v. State
1994 OK CR 32 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1994)
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Houston v. State
1977 OK CR 226 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)
Jones v. State
1975 OK CR 222 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1975)
Wimberli v. State
1975 OK CR 110 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1975)
Edgerson v. State
302 So. 2d 556 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1974)
Murdock v. State
1973 OK CR 332 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)
Grist v. State
1973 OK CR 253 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)
Franklin v. State
1973 OK CR 194 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)
Tucker v. State
1970 OK CR 86 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1970)
Koonce v. State
1969 OK CR 180 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1969)
Johnson v. State
1968 OK CR 178 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1968)
Baker v. State
1967 OK CR 190 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1967)
French v. State
1964 OK CR 125 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1964)
Pate v. State
1961 OK CR 45 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1961)
Magenton v. State
81 N.W.2d 894 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1957)
State v. Kitchens
286 P.2d 1079 (Montana Supreme Court, 1955)
Berwick v. State
1951 OK CR 36 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1951)
Anderson v. State
1949 OK CR 89 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1942 OK CR 16, 121 P.2d 625, 73 Okla. Crim. 370, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-state-oklacrimapp-1942.