Martin v. State

54 So. 148, 98 Miss. 676
Mississippi Supreme Court·Decided October 15, 1910·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Whitfield, C.

Whoever killed the two women was guilty of a deliberate assassination. The defense was an alibi. It may just be said, generally, that if the testimony for the state was believed by the jury, as it evidently was, then the defendant is guilty; but that, if the testimony for the defendant is true, then an alibi was clearly established. There was a conviction and sentence to life imprisonment, and numerous errors are assigned. We shall, notice but one error, and that is the assignment that the juror Madison was wholly disqualified from sitting on the jury, and that the defendant did not, therefore, have-this case considered .by an impartial jury, which the Constitution imperatively requires.

On his voir dire the juror, Madison, testified as follows: JVM. Madison, called as a juror, sworn, etc.: “Q. Have you formed or expressed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant? A. No, sir. Q. Have you any bias, feeling, or prejudice either way in the case? A. No, sir. Q1. Do you know of any reason at all why you could not go into the jury box, and hear the evidence of the witnesses, and render a fair and impartial verdict from the testimony? A. No, sir. Q. Have you any conscientious scruples against the infliction of capital punishment? A. No, sir. Q. What beat do you live in? A. Beat 3. By the court: Have a seat in the jury box. Mr. Madison, have you ever heard it discussed? A. No, sir. Q. You heard any witnesses testify? A. No, sir. Q. Heard anything about what the witnesses say about it? A. No, sir. Q. Have you heard any expression about it from anybody? A. No, sir. Q. Never heard anybody say what they thought about it one way or the other? A. No, sir; not at all. ’ Q. And you have no opinion about it? A. Not a bit in the world. Q. Have you ever heard what the circumstances of the killing was? A. No, sir; I haven’t. I just heard of the killing, [683] but what it was for I don’t know. Q. Well, have you ever heard anything about how they were killed? A. No, sir; did not. Q. Nothing in connection with it? A. No, sir. Q. Then you have no opinion about it? A. None at all.”

This juror, therefore, on his voir dire, fully qualified himself. He said he had not heard any witnesses talk about it, nor had he heard any expressions about it from anybody, nor had he heard anybody say what they thought about it one way or the other; that he did not have any opinion, not a bit in the world; that he had heard nothing in connection with the case, and had no opinion at all. On the motion for a new trial, made upon this ground, the following testimony was taken:

EVIDENCE ON MOTION EOR A NEW TRIAL.

C. E. Johnson, a witness introduced by the defense in support of motion for a new trial, having been first duly sworn by the court, testified as follows, to wit:

“Q. . Mr. Johnson, where do you live? A. I live— well, I couldn’t just exactly tell you, about a mile and a quarter, I guess, northwest of Birdie, I think. Q. Who did you live with? A. D. S. Hale. Q. What business are you engaged in? A. I- am farming. Q. How old are yon? A. I was twenty-two years old last February, I believe. Q. Where were you raised? A. I have been raised in the bottom — Delta. Q. Where — did you get to the bottom; were you born anywhere? A. No, sir; I was born in Lee county, Mississippi. Q. Do you know Mr. J. M. Madison, old Mr. Madison? A. Tes, sir. Q. How long have you known him? A. Why, I haven’t known him very long, just merely know him when I see him. Q. Did you see him at any time last fall after Arthur Martin was arrested? A. Tes, sir. Q. Where did you see him, Mr. Johnson? A. Well, I seen him between Birdie and Darling, out there on a little railroad, at a log yard out there. Q. What were [684] you doing at the time ? A. Was hauling logs. Q. Who for? A. D. S. Hale. I was swamping. Q. Who was with yon? A. J. J. Buclmer. Q. When you saw Mr. Madison, was there any conversation about Arthur Martin’s guilt or innocence, and did he express himself about it? A. Well, yes, sir. Q. Well, what did he say, whether or not he knew or heard about' it, or had any opinion about it? Just state what he said. A. Well, he was' — ■ he believed, he said, from what he heard, that he was— what he heard in the preliminary trial, the magistrate’s court out there at Sledge, that he believed that he was guilty. Q. Did he claim to have heard the preliminary trial himself, or heard from it, do you remember? A. Well, I don’t; I believe, well as I remember, that he heard from it. Q. Well, what else was said? Just state what was said and how it came up. A. Well, Mr. Buclmer, he was acquainted with him, and he asked Mr. Madison what did he think about it. Well, he said — he says: ‘If what I have heard is true, why I believe he ought to be hung for it.’ And Mr. Buckner says: ‘Well, Mr. Madison, will you believe, take a negro’s testimony, and there wasn’t any eye-witness, and hang a white man on their evidence?’ Q. Well, what did he say about being on the jury or anything? A. Well, he said, says, well, says, ‘I don’t know about that;’ says, ‘According to my belief,’ and all about it, but says, ‘If I was on the jury,’ says, ‘I believe I would give him life imprisonment anyway.’ Q. What did he say about his belief, as to whether he was guilty or innocent, from what he heard about it? A. Well, he stated that he believed he was guilty. Q. Well, did Mr. Buckner express any opinion about it, do you remember, to him? A. Why, I don’t remember whether he did or not. Q. He was talking to Mr. Buckner? A. Yes, sir.

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Martin v. State, 54 So. 148, 98 Miss. 676 (Mich. 1910).

54 So. 148 (Martin v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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133 So. 211 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1931)
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98 So. 150 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1923)