McDonald v. State

329 So. 2d 583, 57 Ala. App. 529, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1274
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMay 27, 1975
Docket8 Div. 524
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 329 So. 2d 583 (McDonald v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McDonald v. State, 329 So. 2d 583, 57 Ala. App. 529, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1274 (Ala. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinions

DeCARLO, Judge.

Thomas D. McDonald was convicted of bribery and sentenced to three years. All of the judges of the 23rd Judicial Circuit recused themselves. The Chief Justice, Howell T. Heflin, assigned the Hon. L. S. Moore, Supernumerary Circuit Judge to preside over this case.

Before trial, appellant filed a plea in abatement based upon fraud and other irregularities in making up the jury box [534]*534from which the grand jury returning the indictment was drawn. Appellant also filed a written waiver of his right to jury trial on the grounds of extensive pre-trial publicity, but did not file a motion for change of venue. Both the plea in abatement and the motion to waive a trial by jury were properly overruled by the court. Shields v. State, 52 Ala.App. 690, 296 So.2d 786.

On appeal, appellant also challenges the court’s action in hearing the evidence on the plea in abatement without a jury. The record does not reflect an objection by defense counsel and failure to submit this matter to a jury was not prejudicial to appellant. Racine v. State, 291 Ala. 684, 286 So.2d 896.

Appellant was charged by a fourc-count indictment with violations of T. 14, § 64, Code of Alabama 1940, Recompiled 1958, in accepting a bribe or agreeing to accept a bribe. A plea in abatement and demurrer thereto were overruled.

After an election by the State, the case was submitted to the jury on count one which reads:

“Thomas D. McDonald, alias Tom McDonald, a judicial officer, to-wit: Judge of the Madison County Court, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, did in, to-wit: December, 1971, in or near the office of the said Thomas D. McDonald, alias Tom McDonald, in the Courthouse of Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, unlawfully and corruptly accept or agree to accept a gift, gratuity, or other thing of value, or a promise to do an act beneficial to the said Thomas D. McDonald, alias Tom McDonald, to-wit: Sexual intercourse, the promise of sexual intercourse, or the promise of other sexual favors or relationship from one Myra Layton Braidfoot, alias Myra Braidfoot Layton, a woman, under an agreement or with an understanding that his act, opinion, decision or judgment would be given in a particular manner, or upon a particular side of a cause, question, or proceeding, which by law was pending before him in his official capacity, to-wit: The cause, question or proceeding being a criminal prosecution of said Myra Layton Braid-foot, alias Myra Braidfoot Layton, wherein the said Myra Layton Braidfoot, alias Myra Braidfoot Layton, was charged with Grand Larceny under the laws of the State of Alabama, and said criminal prosecution being otherwise identified as the State of Alabama vs. Paul Duane Braidfoot, Myra Layton Braidfoot, Defendants, Case No. 97467, Madison County Court, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, and that the said Thomas D. McDonald, alias Tom McDonald, as Judge of the Madison County Court, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, would dismiss' or cause to be dismissed, nol-pros or cause to be nolprossed, reduce or cause to be reduced, continue or cause to be continued, or otherwise, dispose of or have disposed of, said criminal prosecution in a manner beneficial to the said Myra Layton Braid-foot, alias Myra Braidfoot Layton, all against the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama.”

This count is based on T. 14, § 64, Code of Alabama, which provides:

“Any legislative, executive or judicial officer or any municipal officer, or any deputy officer, or any clerk, agent or employee of any such legislative, executive, judicial or municipal officer who corruptly accepts or agrees to accept any gift, gratuity, or other thing of value, or any promise to make any gift, or to do any act beneficial to such officer, under an agreement, or with an understanding that his act, vote, opinion, decision or judgment is to be given in any particular manner, or upon any particular side of any cause, question, or proceeding, which is pending or may be by law brought before him in his official capacity: Or that he is to make any particular appointment in his official capacity, shall, on conviction, be imprisoned [535]*535in the penitentiary for not less than two years or more than ten years.”

At trial Myra Layton Braidfoot testified she had been arrested in Madison County on a charge of “conspiracy of larceny.” Between November and December, 1971, she appeared in Judge Thomas D. McDonald’s court three times, and on each occasion, she saw appellant in his chambers.

The first time, she was told by the bailiff that the judge wanted to see her. While in the judge’s chambers, she sat on a couch and appellant sat in a chair behind his desk. Although she couldn’t remember the extent of their conversation, she did recall the judge commented about how attractive she was.

When she was called into the judge’s chambers the second time, he again remarked how attractive she was. She did not recall anything else about their conversation.

Her testimony as to the third occasion was:

“Q. What happened the third time, please ma’am?
“A. Well, we were in his Chambers again, and as we were getting up to leave he asked me if I could meet him at Kings Inn at 10:00.
“THE COURT: Asked you what?
“A. If I could meet him at Kings Inn at 10:00.
“Q. The Defendant asked her if she could meet him at the Kings Inn at 10:00.
“THE COURT: All right. I’m just a little hard of hearing.
“Q. Did he touch you or anything that time, squeeze you?
“A. He put his arm around my waist
“Q. This Defendant, Thomas McDonald?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And were you alone in his office?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And what again did he say now, other than meeting him at the Kings Inn?
“A. He said if I met him at Kings Inn we could talk about the situation and maybe take care of it.
“Q. Of the case?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. All right. If you met him at Kings Inn at 10:00, what did you tell him ?
“A. I told him that I would.”

Only she and appellant were present on each of the three visits, and during this period of time, her case was being continued. Following the last visit, she reported the incident to her lawyer in Decatur, and the case was later transferred to another court.

Judge Thomas D. McDonald, Judge of the General Sessions Court of Madison County, since January 1, 1974, and prior to this time, Judge of the Madison County Court, testified in his own behalf. He recalled that on December 9th or 16th of 1971, about 9:30 A.M., he sent either his bailiff or clerk to summons Myra Braid-foot to his chambers. She was alone, and either he or the bailiff closed the door. He sat at his desk and she sat on the sofa or a chair. He informed Myra Braidfoot her attorney would be late. They discussed her charges, but he did not recall telling her she was attractive.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
329 So. 2d 583, 57 Ala. App. 529, 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcdonald-v-state-alacrimapp-1975.