Laster v. State

1962 OK CR 142, 376 P.2d 635, 1962 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 178
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 7, 1962
DocketNo. A-13219
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1962 OK CR 142 (Laster 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
Laster v. State, 1962 OK CR 142, 376 P.2d 635, 1962 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 178 (Okla. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

NIX, Presiding Judge.

Estell Laster, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was charged by Information in the District Court of Garfield County with the crime of Selling Intoxicating Liquor to a Minor. He was tried before a jury, found guilty and sentenced to 6 months in jail and to pay a fine of $300.00.

Defendant lodged his appeal in this Court within the time prescribed, listing numerous assignments of error upon which he relies for reversal. Defendant was charged with the unlawful sale of liquor to Clifford Little Coyote, a lad IS years of age. The complaining witness was in jail in the city of Enid, Oklahoma. Pie was taken out of jail by police officers and, along with the County Attorney, went to^ the vicinity of Laster Cafe where defendant was given two dollars. He proceeded into the cafe, purchased a pint of moonshine whiskey and returned. He gave the whiskey to one of the officers, a Mr. Henderson. Several officers, and a chemist for the State Crime Bureau iden[637]*637tified the contents of the bottle as being alcohol 49% by volume, or 98 proof.

The complaining witness testified as follows :

“Q. You went to the Laster Cafe? Is that correct?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Now where is the Laster Cafe?
“A. I don’t know the address.
“Q. Well, is it in the City of Enid?
“A. Yes.
“Q. And what did you buy there?
“A. Some whiskey.
“Q. How much did you pay for it?
“A. $2.00.
“Q. From whom did you receive the $2.00?
“A. From the police down at the city.
“Q. What took place when you arrived? Would you tell the court what took place at the cafe?
“A. I went up there and asked Mr. Laster if I could have some whiskey, and he said, ‘yes, but — ■’
“Q. —Now then, is Mr. Laster in the court room?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Would you point him out to the court and the jury.
“A. The man in the blue shirt.
“Q. What was Mr. Laster doing when you arrived?
“A. Painting.
“Q. What was he painting?
“A. A window on the front.
“Q. Was he inside or outside the house?
“A. Outside.
“Q. Which side of the house was he on?
“A. The south side.
“Q. What did you ask him when you went up there?
“A. Asked him if I could have some whiskey.
“Q. What did he say, if anything?
“A. He said, ‘Yes.’ He told his wife ■ — I believe it was his wife — to go get it for him.
“Q. And what took place then?
“A. We went inside and she went in the back there and I waited and when I was waiting, there was a Bond Bread man and I believe a Royal Crown Cola man that came in. We went in the west room there and I gave her the money and she gave me the whiskey.”

Defendant did not take the stand, nor did his wife, but put on three witnesses who testified that they were at Laster Cafe on the day in question. One was there practically all day, one at the time officers arrived, and one from 1:00 til 3 :35 P.M., and they all testified that Clifford Little Coyote never visited the cafe during the time of their presence. In fact, they all denied seeing an Indian about the premises at any time.

Defendant’s paramount contention of error involves testimony given by the prosecuting witness relating another sale separate and distinct from the one for which he was being tried. The testimony was ab-duced by the county attorney, in chief:

“Q. Mr. Little Coyote, as I understood your testimony under cross-examination, you were in jail and the police officers came to you with this idea of going down there again. Is that correct?
“A. Yes.
“Q. What were you in jail for?
“A. Public Drunk.
“Q. And where had you been drunk?
“A. Here in Enid.
“Q. Had you been drinking?
“A: Yes.
“Q. What had you been drinking?
“A. Whiskey.
“Q. Where did you get the whiskey ?
“MR. SWANSON: Now we object to any matter of possible other reference.
[638]*638“(Off-the-record discussion at the bar between the court and counsel.)
“THE COURT: In view of the defense of entrapment and agency here,
I believe I will overrule the objection and let him answer there, in view of the peculiar circumstances. Overruled.
“Q. From whom did you purchase the whiskey you drank that caused you to be arrested for public drunk?
“A. Mr. Laster.
“THE COURT: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you will not consider that as any evidence of guilt in this case at all and the court has only permitted that evidence to go to you for one purpose, and that is for the purpose of determining, if it does in any manner as- .. sist you, who was the originator of the idea of going there to this particular 'place and whether the thought and plan first came from this witness or from a police officer or some other person, and you will not consider that for any other purpose, except on the question, as the court has indicated to you, of whose idea, if any person’s idea, it was to go down to the Laster \,Cafe. The court repeats, it is no evidence whatsoever of guilt of the defendant here on the charge on which he is being tried and you will not so consider it, and I will allow you an exception to that.”

This constitutes evidence of a sale of liquor, separate and distinct from the charge for which defendant was on trial and is ground for reversal. •

This Court laid down the rule in concise language in the case of Huges v. State, 51 Okl.Cr. 11, 299 P. 240, wherein it said:

“Where the State charges and relies upon a particular sale to constitute a violation of the prohibition law, it is error for the court to permit proof of other sales.”

Also see, Emerson v. State, 18 Okl.Cr. 109, 193 P. 743; Alexander v. State, 24 Okl. Cr. 435, 218 P. 543; Satterfield v. State, 32 Okl.Cr. 98, 240 P. 151.

In the case of Smith v. State, 5 Okl.Cr. 67, 113 P. 204, a very early decision, the Court said:

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Related

Stevenson v. State
1973 OK CR 317 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1973)
Watson v. State
382 P.2d 449 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
1962 OK CR 142, 376 P.2d 635, 1962 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/laster-v-state-oklacrimapp-1962.