Leard v. State

1925 OK CR 98, 285 P. 243, 235 P. 243, 30 Okla. Crim. 191, 1925 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 21, 1925
DocketNo. A-4594.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1925 OK CR 98 (Leard 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
Leard v. State, 1925 OK CR 98, 285 P. 243, 235 P. 243, 30 Okla. Crim. 191, 1925 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190 (Okla. Ct. App. 1925).

Opinion

EDWARDS, J.

The plaintiff in error assigns several errors as reasons for reversing this case: First, that the court erred in overruling plaintiff in error’s application for a change of venue; second, that the court erred in overruling plaintiff in error’s challenge for cause to certain jurors; third, that the court erred in excluding competent evidence-offered on the part of plaintiff in error; fourth, that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict.

*193 On the application for change of venue, the plaintiff in error filed an affidavit, with four supporting affidavits, to the effect that the minds of the inhabitants of Okfuskee county were so prejudiced against him that he could not obtain a fair trial therein. In addition the sheriff of Okfus-kee county testified that there had been talk of mob violence. The county attorney made a counter showing. We have examined carefully the record on this point, and adhere to the rule, heretofore adopted by this court, that the granting or refusing of a change of venue is within the sound discretion of the trial court, and a case will not be reversed unless there is abuse of such discretion. Wa believe that there is no such showing of the inability of plaintiff in error to get a fair trial in Okfuskee county as would constitute an abuse of discretion. Starr v. State, 5 Okla. Cr. 440, 115 P. 356; Turner v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 164, 111 P. 988; Hopkins v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 197, 108 P. 420, 111 P. 947; Black v. State, 3 Okla. Cr. 547, 107 P. 524; Edwards v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 306, 131 P. 956, 44 L. R. A. (N. S.) 701; Bouie v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 345, 131 P. 953; Tegeler v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 138, 130 P. 1164.

The plaintiff in error contends that the court erred in overruling the challenge for cause to the jurors Eskridge, Catlett, Finney, Turner, and Board, and that they each disclosed on their voir dire examination that they had an opinion such as would disqualify them. The juror Esk-ridge testified that he had read something about the case, and had formed an opinion from so reading which would, take evidence to remove. He did not testify, however, that it was a fixed opinion, and on being further examined testified as follows:

“Q. Could you disregard that opinion, even though you have an opinion, Mr. Eskridge, and try the case according to the testimony you will hear in the progress of the trial without any reference to your opinion? A. I believe I could.
*194 “Q. Can you and will you do it, if selected as a juror? A. Yqs. * * *
“Q. If selected as a juror in this case, will you go into the jury box and try the case under the instructions of the court, and take that as the law, and take the testimony of the witnesses introduced here as the evidence, and try the case fairly and impartially, both to the state and the defendant ? A. Yes, sir.”

The jurors Catlett, Finney, and Board testified in effect the same as the juror Eskridge. The juror Turner was objected to not because he had an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the plaintiff in error, but because he stated in response to questions by counsel for plaintiff in error that, if the accused admitted having intercourse with prosecutrix, he would not feel that it was justifiable. But he did testify that, notwithstanding such might bei the case, he would not be prejudiced thereby, but would give the plaintiff in error a fair trial. We know of no rule that requires a juror to approve the moral code of a defendant in order to be qualified to serve in the trial of a case.

A juror is not disqualified by reason of having an opinion resulting from reading newspaper accounts of the crime charged, or from. current rumors, provided it appears to the court, upon the declaration of the juror, under oath or otherwise, that he can and will, notwithstanding such opinion, act impartially and fairly. The trial court, of course, is not limited to the answers made by the jurors on their voir dire, but should be satisfied, from such examination and from all the circumstances, that the juror is not prejudiced against the accused. The question of competency of a juror is addressed to the sound discretion of a trial court, and the court should be clearly satisfied that a juror is fair and impartial before permitting him to sit in a criminal case. On an appeal to this court, in order to warrant a reversal on this point, it must be made clearly to appear that the trial court abused its discretion. All the jurors complained of were excused by peremp *195 tory challenge), and it does not appear that any objectionable juror was on the trial panel. 'Section 2678, Comp. St. 1921; Johnson v. State, 1 Okla. Cr. 323, 97 P. 1059, 18 Ann. Cas. 300; Turner v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 164, 111 P. 988; Jones v. State, 8 Okla. Cr. 576, 129 P. 446; Tegeler v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 138, 130 P. 1164, supra; Littrell v. State, 22 Okla. Cr. 1, 209 P. 184.

Some four days after the offense charged in the information, the county attorney had a physician, Dr. C. M. Bloss, make a physical examination of the prosecuting witness. The physician was not called as a witness by the state, but was offered as a witness for the plaintiff in error, and objection was made to his testimony as being privileged. Section 589, Compiled St. 1921, is as follows:

“The following persons shall be incompetent to testify: * * * Sixth. A physician or surgeon, concerning any communication made to him by his patient with reference to any physical or supposed physical disease, or any knowledge obtained by a personal examination of any such patient. * * *”

The plaintiff in error, however, contends that the relation of physician and patient did not obtain in this case, for the reason that it is shown that the county attorney was present at the examination, and the physician was called by the county attorney. We believe the contention is well taken that the witness was competent and should have been permitted to testify. In 28 R. C. L. 539, par 129, the general rule is laid down as follows: '

“It is well settled that, in order for privilege to exist in the case of a communication made to or by a physician or surgeon, relation of physician and patient must exist between the physician and the patient by or to whom the communication is made. Where there is no confidential relation, there is no privilege. The privilege extends only to information acquired during the continuation of the relation of physician and patient, and does not preclude a physician from testifying as to information respecting* *196 a patient which he acquired either before the relation bec gan or after its termination. An objection to the testimony of physicians that it discloses a privileged communication cannot be sustained, when it relates to an examination made of a party, who did not make any communication to them nor submit to their examination with the idea that they weire acting as his physicians, and a physician employed by one whose negligence is alleged to have caused an accident, to be present at an operation upon the injured person, without the latter’s consent, is not incompetent to testify to what he observed therei.

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Related

Gordon v. State
1942 OK CR 160 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)
Fleming v. State
1937 OK CR 156 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1937)
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Spratt v. State
1933 OK CR 64 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1933)
Calloway v. State
1930 OK CR 432 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1930)
Garcia v. State
274 P. 166 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1929)
Miller v. State
1928 OK CR 168 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1928)
Ray v. State
1962 OK CR 371 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1926)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1925 OK CR 98, 285 P. 243, 235 P. 243, 30 Okla. Crim. 191, 1925 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 190, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leard-v-state-oklacrimapp-1925.