Layman v. State

429 S.W.2d 832, 1 Tenn. Crim. App. 83, 1968 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 98
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 19, 1968
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 429 S.W.2d 832 (Layman v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Layman v. State, 429 S.W.2d 832, 1 Tenn. Crim. App. 83, 1968 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 98 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

WALKER, Presiding Judge.

The defendant, Jackie Layman, has appealed from a conviction of murder in the first degree, his punishment being fixed by the jury at ninety-nine years in the State penitentiary.

He was jointly indicted with one Ovanley Dunham, and they were being tried together until it developed that Dunham was no longer mentally competent to stand trial. A mistrial was declared as to him, and the trial proceeded to the conviction of this defendant.

*85 The deceased, Sam Overton, a clerk at the Super Dollar Market in Newport, was killed at 8:30 A.M., October 7, 1966, as he left the store on his way to a bank with $19,862.61. An eye witness, Mrs. Harriet Cureton, identified the defendant and Dunham as the perpetrators of the robbery and murder.

Two other witnesses saw Dunham immediately after the shots were fired picking up the money, throwing it in a 1962 Pontiac automobile, and leaving with another person whom they were unable to identify.

The State’s proof thoroughly corroborated the testimony of the eye witnesses. The day before the murder the defendant and a man who fit the description of Dun-ham went to a used car lot in Newport and tried out a 1964 Oldsmobile. The Pontiac used in the robbery was also on the lot. They had access to the serial numbers on the two automobiles. The defendant gave the Oldsmobile number to a keysmith and had a key made for it. A short time later Dunham had a key made for the Pontiac by the same keysmith. This key was also made by use of the serial number.

There are a number of other circumstances indicating the defendant’s guilt, but no question is raised relative to the weight of the evidence. The defendant relied on an alibi. Under the rule set out in Cooper v. State, 123 Tenn. 37, 138 N.W. 826, and McBee v. State, 213 Tenn. 15, 372 S.W.2d 173, the verdict of the jury, approved by the trial judge, accredits the testimony of the State and resolves all conflict in favor of the theory of the State. The conviction will not be reversed on the facts unless it is shown that the evidence preponderates *86 against the verdict and in favor of the innocence of the accused. That has not been done.

The defendant assigns as error that the trial judge erred in unduly restricting voir dire examination of prospective jurors. It is specifically contended that the trial judge erred in refusing a challenge for cause as to prospective jurors Earl Moore, Charles Edward Cate, Samuel E. Strange, Bobby Ottinger, Kenneth Black, Emmit Lundsford, J. O. McCurry and Rex Allen Gregg.

In addition to the regular panel of jurors, a special panel of 300 was summoned for this case. The judge gave the defendant the choice of placing the regular jury first on a panel of fifty-four or of placing all the jurors, regular and special, on the same panel. The defendant preferred that all be on the same panel. In this way fewer of the regular jurors would be drawn unless the entire panel was examined.

At the defendant’s suggestion, the prospective jurors were kept from the courtroom while most of the jury was selected. They were brought to the judge’s chambers in small numbers and then called individually to the courtroom for their examination.

The trial judge propounded questions concerning their opinions and bias and whether they would be fair and impartial jurors. When he found a juror competent, he passed him to the State for examination; otherwise he excused him. In the examination of some of the jurors named by the defendant, the trial court limited examination that sought to show they had formed opinions based on rumor or that it would be embarrassing to return a verdict in the case.

*87 Of those named by the defendant, Charles Edward Cate, Samuel E. Strange, and Rex Allen Gregg were excused by his codefendant Dunham. Emmit Lundsford was first challenged by the defendant, but the Court later excused him for cause. Bobby Ottinger was excused by the Court for cause, but we believe that the juror in question was James D. Ottinger and have considered his examination. The defendant challenged him for cause and later peremptorily.

None of the named prospective jurors were accepted as members of the jury. The trial court allowed the defendant sixteen peremptory challenges, one more than required.

After defendant’s peremptory challenges were exhausted, the only juror he challenged for cause was Rex Allen Gregg. He was excused peremptorily by Dunham and was not a member of the jury.

Eleven jurors had been selected when the defendant exhausted his challenges, including the extra 'one allowed by the Court. The entire examination of the twelfth juror is as follows:

“* * * Alright go. Call another Juror.

THE SHERIFF:

#52 — Loyd F. Cashen.

THE COURT:

Come right around here. Have you formed or expressed any opinion relative to the guilt or innocence of Jackie Layman and Ovanley Dunham or either of them on a charge of murder?
*88 A. No, I’ve not.
If you are accepted as a Juror, would you go by the Law which I give you and the evidence as given you by the witnesses?
A. Yeah, I’d say I would.
You would do that. Do you have any interest in this case?
A. No.
Are you connected or associated with any of the parties?
A. No, sir.
Do you know any of them?
A. I knowed Sam a little.
Knew Sam?
A. Yeah, I knew Sam.
But that would not be in your way, about rendering a fair verdict? You will go by the Law and the evidence, whatever it is?
A. Well I — yes sir.
You would do that. He is competent.

ATTY. PORTER:

Did you say that you did not know Jackie Layman?
*89 A. No, sir, I don’t know Jackie.
And don’t know any of his family?
A. No, sir.
The State passes the Juror.

ATTY. PARKS:

Where do you live Mr. Cashen?
A. Baltimore Section. 7th district.
Are you related to Charlie Cashen?
A. Son.
We are out of challengers.
Do you take him?

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Layman v. Tollett
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
429 S.W.2d 832, 1 Tenn. Crim. App. 83, 1968 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/layman-v-state-tenncrimapp-1968.