Lunday v. State

1931 OK CR 183, 298 P. 1054, 50 Okla. Crim. 431, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 196
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 11, 1931
DocketNo. A-7645.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1931 OK CR 183 (Lunday 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
Lunday v. State, 1931 OK CR 183, 298 P. 1054, 50 Okla. Crim. 431, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 196 (Okla. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

CHAPPELL, J.

Plaintiff in error, hereinafter called defendant, was convicted in the district court of Delaware county of the crime of embezzlement, and his punishment fixed by the jury at a fine of $10,360 and imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of four years.

The evidence of the state was that the defendant had been court clerk of Delaware county; that the county commissioners had requested the state examiner and inspector to make an audit of the books of the defendant as such clerk, and that such audit revealed a net shortage of $4,994.42.

*432 Under an information charging the embezzlement of a specified sum it is not necessary for the state to prove the exact amount recited in the information, but proof of the embezzlement of more than $20 at any one time within three years of the date of the filing of the information is sufficient to support a conviction. Defendant contends first that the court erred in not discharging the jury panel and continuing the case, when the jury on voir dire examination made statements which were prejudicial to the rights of the defendant.

Under this assignment defendant contends that because one juror on his voir dire examination said he had formed an opinion and believed the defendant' to be guilty, that it was not sufficient for the trial court to discharge that juror for cause, hut that the court should have discharged the entire panel because this opinion was expressed in the presence of the other jurors in the box.

In Remer v. State, 3 Okla. Cr. 706, 109 Pac. 247, this court, in discussing this question, said:

“The prejudice of individual jurors against the defendant is no ground for a challenge to the panel, but should be raised by challenging for cause the prejudiced jurors individually.”

Under section 2659, C. O. S. 1921, a challenge to the panel can be founded only on a material departure from-the forms prescribed by law, in respect to the drawing and return of the jury, or on the intentional omission of the sheriff to summon one or more of the jurors drawn, from which the defendant has suffered material prejudice.

Under these authorities the trial court did not err in overruling the defendant’s challenge to the panel.

*433 Defendant next contends that the court erred in not quashing the panel, for the reason that the same had not been drawn, chosen, and impaneled as required by law.

Under this assignment defendant contends that the names of the jurors were not taken from the tax rolls. A. A. Patterson testified that Mr. Huggins had a list of the names.

“Q. Where did he get this list he read from? A. I don’t know.
“Q. In drawing the jurors what proceeding did you go through? A. We had the tax books there.
“Q. What was this list used for that this gentleman had? A. Well, he would suggest the names.
“Q. From that list? A. Yes.
“Q. Were a lot of names incorporated in the list? A. I think not.
“Q. Were some of them incorporated in there? A. I think some probably were.
“Q. The jury list you made and returned into court, you selected the names that appear on that list from the tax rolls? A. Yes.”

It also appears that the jury commissioners were sworn and filed their oaths with the county clerk, but did not actually make up the list of names in the county clerk’s office. Defendant contends that this is such a material departure from the law providing for the impaneling of jurors that the cause must be reversed. To this contention we cannot agree.

Section 3526, C. O. >S 1921, provides:

“A substantial compliance with the provisions of this chapter shall be sufficient to prevent the quashing or setting aside of any indictment of a grand jury chosen hereunder, unless the irregularity in drawing, summoning or *434 impaneling tlie grand jury resulted in depriving a defendant of some substantial right, but such irregularity must be specifically presented to the court on or before the cause is first set for trial. A substantial compliance with the provisions of this chapter shall be sufficient to prevent the setting aside of any verdict rendered by a jury chosen hereunder, unless the irregularity in drawing and summoning or impaneling the same resulted in depriving a party litigant of some substantial right: Provided, however, that such irregularity must be specifically presented to the court at or before the time the jury is sworn to try the cause.” Maddox v. State, 12 Okla. Cr. 462, 158 Pac. 883; Herndon v. State, 16 Okla. Cr. 586, 185 Pac. 701; January v. State, 16 Okla. Cr. 166, 181 Pac. 514; Middleton v. State, 16 Okla. Cr. 320, 183 Pac. 626.

The record in the case at bar discloses some departures from the procedure prescribed by law, but they are not of such nature as to prejudice the defendant nor require a reversal of the case.

Defendant next contends that the court erred in refusing to declare a mistrial because of the indirect reference of the prosecuting attorney to the fact that the defendant had not taken the witness stand.

During the trial a dispute had arisen as to whether Delaware county had received any benefit from the audit. The examiner and inspector had testified that a fund of $1,900 in the Grove division of the county court was turned over to Delaware county as a result of the audit. Defendant was not charged with the embezzlement of this fund, and it was not included in the audit introduced by the state, but was in a separate audit. It was contended by the state that it was undenied that the county received this $1,900, but no mention was made of the defendant, nor any claim made that he was in any wise liable for the same. There is nothing in the record even remotely referring to the defendant as not having testified in the case.

*435 Defendant next contends that the court erred in permitting the state to show items embezzled more than three years prior to the filing of the information.

At the time this evidence was admitted, the trial court, addressing the jury, said:

“Certain testimony has been submitted to you by the court, as competent for your consideration, tending to show embezzlement of sums of money, other than as charged in the information and at different times, was committed by the defendant.

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Related

Gamble v. State
1978 OK CR 36 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Stone v. State
208 So. 2d 676 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1968)
State v. Weidlich
269 S.W.2d 69 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1954)
Fitzgerald v. State
1947 OK CR 152 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1947)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1931 OK CR 183, 298 P. 1054, 50 Okla. Crim. 431, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lunday-v-state-oklacrimapp-1931.