McCall v. State

185 So. 608, 135 Fla. 712
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 3, 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 185 So. 608 (McCall v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCall v. State, 185 So. 608, 135 Fla. 712 (Fla. 1939).

Opinion

Buford, J.

The writ of error brings for review judgment of conviction and sentence to death on a plea of guilty to an indictment charging the offense of kidnaping to hold for ransom, under the provisions of Chapters 16063, Acts' of 1933.

The plaintiff in error has suggested eleven (11) questions for our consideration. They may be reduced to two questions because the first to the sixth questions, inclusive, and the 10th and 11th questions present the contention that under the provisions of our statute a plea of guilty in a case of this sort can not be tendered and accepted but that one accused of violating the provisions of Chapter 16063, supra, can only he convicted on trial by a jury.

Questions 7, 8 and 9 challenge the action of the court in accepting a plea of guilty from the insolvent accus'ed before the appointment of counsel to represent him, although counsel was appointed before trial and had the opportunity to make any motions which he might have desired to make and presented no motions to the court.

' The transcript of the record here does not comply with the rules of this Court. There was no motion for new *714 trial in the lower court, no exceptions taken during the proceedings in the lower court and no bill of exceptions presented or settled. Therefore, all of the transcript except the transcript of the .record proper could be properly stricken, but the State, through the Attorney General, has- waived all irregularities, that the case might be presented in its most favorable aspect tO' the plaintiff in error.

The case has been submitted on briefs and on oral argument by counsel in behalf of plaintiff in error and by the Attorney General and the State Attorney of the Circuit in which the prosecution was had. It has been stated by the representatives of the office of the Attorney General, and admitted by counsel for plaintiff in error at the bar of the court, that the accused was indicted by the Grand Jury of Dade County, Florida, on the 14th day of June, 1938, for violating the provisions of Chapter 16063, Acts of 1933, and also indicted for the murder of the child whom he was alleged to have kidnaped; that on the same day the accused, McCall, was brought into court and arraigned on the two indictments; that he entered his plea of guilty to the indictment charging the offense of kidnaping to hold for ransom and entered his plea of not guilty to the indictment charging murder in the first degree; that the case was tentatively-set for trial on the following day and that the trial Judge 1hen appointed Honorable Jack Kehoe, an able and highly respected member of the Bar who has had much experience in court trials of criminal cases, to represent the accused; that the family of accused on the same day employed Honorable C. A. Avriett to represent the accused; that Mr. Avriett proceeded to1 Miami and conferred with Mr. Kehoe before the case was called for trial; that on the 15th of June the Honorable H. F. Atkinson, Judge, presiding in the Circuit Court, called the case for trial and asked if counsel were ready for trial; that Mr. Kehoe announced, “The de *715 iendant is ready for trial,” and that Judge Atkinson then asked if he had any motions to present and Mr. Kehoe answered in the negative.Thereupón the trial proceeded, the defendant being present in person and by his counsel.

The transcript shows that when the State had finished putting on its testimony in chief, the following occurred:

“Franklin Pierce McCall, the defendant herein, was called to the stand on his own behalf, and having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:

“Direct Examination

“Q. (By Mr. Kehoe) Will you state your name to the Court ?

“A. Franklin Pierce McCall.

“Q. And state your age.

“A. Twenty-one.

“Q. Where were you born?

“A. Jasper, Florida.

“Q. How long have you lived in Dade County?

“A. Since 1934.

“Q. The indictment that was read to you in this Court yesterday, charging you with the offense of kidnaping—to that indictment you entered your plea of guilty; is that correct ?

“A. Yes, sir.

“Q. And do you now reaffirm that to be your plea to the indictment?

“A. Yes, sir.”

Thereupon the accused identified the ransom notes which he was alleged to have written and conveyed to Mr. Cash, the father of the kidnaped child. Pie told where he left ■ each of the notes. Then the pertinent part of his testimony was as follows:

*716 “Q. Now how far is' it from your home to the Cash home—what is the distance?

“A. About a quarter of a mile.

“Q. All right, sir. Go ahead.

“A. I asked what time it was, and I thought it was Mrs. Cash that said it was 9:30; it was time I was home in bed. I turned out of the store and into the alley-way between the store and the filling station, and came to the back screen door. It was locked. I didn’t know it would be locked at the titilé I went there, but it was', I cut the screen with my knife; the knife that was in Court this morning.

“Q. I hand you state’s Exhibit 12 and ask you is that the knife?

“A. That is it.

“Q. All right. Go ahead.

“A. I had two large white pocket handkerchiefs with me, and I took these out of my pocket as I came into' the back hall, and went on up the hall tO' the left into the door of Mr. and Mrs. Cash’s apartment. The door coming in from the rear opens to the bedroom. I picked Skeegie up in my right arm and placed—

“Q. Now, that is James Bailey Cash, Jr., you refer to:

“A. Yes', sir. Placed the two large white clean handkerchiefs over his face.

“Q. Now just a moment there. Explain liow you picked him up. Illustrate with your arms, how you held him.

“A. In my right arm.

“Q. How did you hold him, around the body or under the arm?

“A. Around the body.

“Q. Did you hold him up to you?

“A. Yes, sir.

“Q. Just held him up about this way?

*717 “A. Yes sir.

“Q. All right.

' “A. Went out the back door, and he appeared to be sleeping, and just as you pick one out of the car or something, and he is asleep, and carry him in and put him to bed. As I got out the back door', I carried him in. both arms and held the handkerchiefs over his mouth—I guess over his nose. Then I didn’t know it. I walked across Coconut Palm Drive and in through the woods to' my: house. It was dark there and I came in through the back door into the bedroom, and placed Skeegie on the bed and shook him to wake him up; called his name and he didn’t answer. I tried— then I. knew something was the matter with him. I knew he- was unconscious.

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Bluebook (online)
185 So. 608, 135 Fla. 712, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccall-v-state-fla-1939.