Lauhoff v. State

1973 OK CR 127, 508 P.2d 285, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 710
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 7, 1973
DocketA-17729
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 1973 OK CR 127 (Lauhoff 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
Lauhoff v. State, 1973 OK CR 127, 508 P.2d 285, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 710 (Okla. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

BUSSEY, Judge:

Appellant, Charles L. Lauhoff, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the District Court of Woodward County, Case No. C-72-35, for the crime of Defrauding an Innkeeper. He was sentenced to serve a term of eighteen (18) months in the state penitentiary in accordance with the verdict of the jury, and a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

Briefly stated, the facts are that the State’s evidence in chief began with the testimony of J. Eloise Whaley, the complaining witness. During the trial, Mrs. Whaley testified that defendant registered *286 at her motel, the Downtown Motel and Restaurant in Woodward, Oklahoma, under the name of “Buddy Allen,” on October 16, 1971; that on November 5, 1971, she requested the defendant to pay his motel bill, but he never offered her any payment nor was any agreement made with defendant for a late or delayed payment; that the defendant left her motel on November 6, 1971, leaving considerable clothing in his rooms at the motel; that she filed charges against defendant on November 12, 1971 and was advised by the District Attorney to refuse payment if it was offered; and that the bill was finally paid on about January 12, 1972, by mail, after the Preliminary Hearing.

The State next offered the testimony of Mrs. Doris Shuck and Mrs. Sue Kimes, the latter’s written testimony being stipulated to by defendant, who testified that defendant was the person who stayed at the motel rooms in question.

The State’s next witness was A. C. Gas-ton, Sheriff of Woodward County, who testified he arrested defendant on December 20, 1971, pursuant to a felony warrant on the charge of Defrauding an Innkeeper ; and that when he went to the house to arrest the defendant, the defendant was locked in the bathroom.

The Defendant’s Demurrer to the State’s evidence was overruled by the Court.

The defendant then offered his evidence to the court. Defendant’s first witness, Miss Loyale Tidrick, testified that defendant registered under the name of “Buddy Allen” because of trouble with his ex-wife; that defendant went to Wichita on November 6, 1971, to repair a truck and that defendant sent her, the next day, to check' with the motel, but she did not make payment; that defendant was in Woodward two to three days a week from November 6th to December 20th and defendant was arrested at her house on December 20, 1971.

Veri Horn testified that defendant borrowed money from him, in the form of a check, to pay his motel bill, but that he did not know what defendant did with the check.

The defendant, Charles Lauhoff, next testified he was registered in the name of “Buddy Allen” because his ex-wife was giving him trouble; that Mrs. Whaley had refused a personal check and some cash when she called and asked for payment; that on November 6th, he went to Wichita, Kansas, to repair a truck for Boyd Poole and on November 7th, sent Miss Tedrick to pay the motel bill, but that she did not pay the bill; that he never went to Mrs. Whaley’s office to pay, but that the bill had since been paid.

A Motion for a Directed Verdict in defendant’s favor was overruled by the court.

It is first contended, on appeal, that the trial court erred in overruling the Motion to quash the jury panel. The following appears in the transcript of the trial proceedings:

“THE COURT: What kind of a motion do you have? You have not filed a written motion ?
MR. HORN: No, Your Honor, I haven’t filed a motion, I came up here and thought about it after I got here. I will ask leave to file a written motion. The Motion goes — have you called the case? THE COURT: I am calling it now.
MR. HORN: I move to quash the Jury Panel for the reason the panel was not called according to law, is not serving according to law. In that respect I would like to call Mrs. Teten.”

After carefully searching the Original Record and Transcript, we fail to find where counsel for defendant ever filed a written Motion, as required by law. The applicable law is found in 22 O.S. § 634, which provides:

“A challenge to the panel must be taken before a jury is sworn, and must be in writing, specifying plainly and distinctly the facts constituting the ground of challenge.” [Emphasis added]

*287 In construing the statute, we stated, in McGriff v. Oklahoma City, Okl.Cr., 452 P.2d 156:

“An examination of the record fails to disclose that the defendant challenged the panel as required by the provisions of 22 O.S. § 634, supra, and therefore this question is not properly before us on appeal. . . .”

In accordance with McGriff v. Oklahoma City, supra, we are of the opinion that this assignment of error is not properly before the Court.

Defendant’s second contention is that the trial court erred by overruling the Motion for a mistrial interposed when the District Attorney defined, or attempted to define “reasonable doubt” for the jury during voir dire examination of the jury panel. From the record, the following appears :

“MR. HORN: Let the record show that during the voir dire examination the District Attorney defined reasonable doubt to the jury at which time the defendant timely moved the court to grant a mistrial in this case for the reason that it is reversible error to define reasonable doubt to the jury at any time. And the court overruled the motion for a mistrial. Isn’t that right.
THE COURT: True.
MR. HORN: Wasn’t it.
MR. BARTON: Yes. Please the Court I would like to put my statement into the record.
THE COURT: Okay. Go ahead.
MR. BARTON: My statement being, ‘Are each of you aware that reasonable doubt means a doubt based on your reason,’ is that correct.
MR. HORN: I don’t recall what your definition was.
THE COURT: That is the way the Court recalls it.
MR. HORN: My contention is that the State nor anyone else at any time can define or attempt to define reasonable doubt to the jury.
THE COURT: Record show that I admonished the District Attorney against it and instructed the jury to disregard it, because I didn’t want to impress it on their minds.
MR. HORN: And the Admonition was given, of course, after the statement was made to the jury, which would necessarily have to be.”

It does not appear that counsel for defendant, prior to voir dire examination, ever requested that the voir dire examination of the jury be transcribed for possible review by this Court for errors allegedly committed during said voir dire.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1973 OK CR 127, 508 P.2d 285, 1973 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 710, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lauhoff-v-state-oklacrimapp-1973.