McGuff v. State

268 So. 2d 868, 49 Ala. App. 88, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 794
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJune 13, 1972
Docket6 Div. 208
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 268 So. 2d 868 (McGuff 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
McGuff v. State, 268 So. 2d 868, 49 Ala. App. 88, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 794 (Ala. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinions

[90]*90CATES, Judge.

First degree murder with a life sentence.

According to the tendencies of the State’s evidence, McGuff without provocation shot a pedestrian on a country road one Sunday afternoon in April, 1969. His defense, alibi, seems not to have impressed the jury.

I

The first point raised arose as follows :

“Jury was selected and seated in the jury box and the rule was invoked.
“MR. DAVIS: Let the record show that over the objection of the Defendant the mother of Thomas Lee Berry, the deceased party in this case, is to sit at the counsel table with the prosecuting attorney. Even though she is not a witness and did not sign the warrent [sic] we feel [felt?] we must object on grounds it would be prejudicial to the defendant.
“THE COURT: The Court investigated that and the attorneys stated that she was not going to be used as a witness and the Court overruled and the defendant duly excepts to the same.
“Alright, state your case to the jury.
“CASE WAS THEN STATED TO THE JURY
“THE COURT: Who do you have first ?
“MR. ARNIE HOWELL, having first been duly sworn testified as follows on
“DIRECT EXAMINATION
Q (Mr. Downing) State your name please ?
Q Mr. Howell, what is your training or profession ?
A Arnie Howell.
A Funeral director and embalmer.
Q Were you so engaged as a funeral director on the 28th. day of April last year ?
A Yes, sir.
Q Did you have an occasion on that date to see Thomas Lee Berry?
A Yes, sir.
Q Where did you see him ?
A I picked him up out of an automobile at Fayette Hospital.
Q What did you do ?
A I carried him to the Funeral Home and embalmed him.
Q You say this was on the 27th. day of April of last year?
A Yes, sir.
Q That is the only time you saw the deceased?
A Yes, that’s right.
“MR. DOWNING: That’s all.
“CROSS EXAMINATION
Q (Mr. Davis) Mr. I-Iowell does your record reflect what time you picked him up?
A I don’t know the exact time, but I believe it was sometime in the afternoon.
Q You do not have a record of the time with you?
A I do not have it with me, I possibly have it at the Funeral Home.
“MR. DAVIS : That’s all.
“THE COURT: Are you finished with Mr. Howell?
“MR. DAVIS: Yes.
“THE COURT: You may be excused then.
[91]*91“AT THIS POINT IN THE TRIAL THE JUDGE CALLED ALL THE ATTORNEYS TO THE BENCH AND ADVISED THEM AS FOLLOWS:
“THE COURT: I am going to change my ruling and let the deceased boy’s mother leave the Courtroom for fear that she might start crying at a later time and this might work a prejudice against the Defendant. At this time there had been no outward appearance on the part of the deceased mother and this is being done for the precaution that •something might happen at a later time.
“(The mother of Thomas Lee Berry was then escorted from the Courtroom)”

Defense counsel made no effort to gainsay the court’s statement that the deceased’s mother had not given vent to any demonstration or other sign of emotion. In this posture we see no error.

II

The defendant elected to testify. On his cross-examination the following appears:

“Q Did you proposition a colored woman there there [sic] at the beer joint?
“MR. NOLEN: We object and move for a mistrial on ground it is prejudice.
“MR. DOWNING: We can prove that statement.
“MR. NOLEN: We move for a mistrial on grounds of what the District Attorney has said.
“TRIE COURT: Do not consider that, that is prejudicial and should not be in this case. Can you and each of you arridicate [sic] that from your mind and forget about that, will it effect your decision, can you forget about that and render a fair and impartial verdict? All that can do that, hold your hand up. All that can forget and hear the rest of the case and not be prejudice, [sic] hold up your hand, (all hands of jurors were held up)
“THE COURT: Let the record show the Court polled the jury and they can irridicate [sic] that from their minds and that the motion for a mistrial is denied.
“MR. NOLEN: We except.”

In homicide cases the doings of the accused for the entire day beforehand are generally relevant against him usually to show preparation, etc. However, threats or hostile demonstrations by the accused toward persons not connected with the deceased are not admissible. Johnson v. State, 265 Ala. 360, 91 So.2d 476; Wiggs v. State, 24 Ala.App. 22, 129 So. 706.

Here no answer to the question came into evidence. The trial judge charged out any anticipatory implications from the question. The polling of the jury capped the incident. We find no error in denying the motion for a mistrial. Freeman v. State, 45 Ala.App. 271, 229 So.2d 46.

Ill

The third part of appellant’s argument is devoted to various points arising from the State’s rebutting testimony. This proof tended to refute the defendant’s testimony to establish alibi.

Code 1940, T. 7, § 252, provides as follows :

“ * * * The court may, at its discretion, at any time before the conclusion of the argument, when it appears to be necessary to the due administration of justice, allow a party to supply an omission in the testimony of such terms and under such limitations as the court may prescribe.”

Rebuttal proof as to alibi rests basically on the principle that the State has been taken by surprise. This unfortunately arises from the want of a statute requiring [92]*92—as found in some other jurisdictions— that the defense give advance notice of alibi.

Without such a statute the State cannot anticipatorily contradict testimony which has not yet been offered. See Argo v. State, 42 Ala.App. 454, 168 So.2d 19.

Part of the State’s proof related to events which took place in northernmost Tuscaloosa County. The fatal shooting occurred near Bemy in lower Fayette County.

Sandra Carthage was one of the rebuttal witnesses.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Morgan v. Winbeau Oil & Gas Co.
57 So. 3d 1202 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
Newton v. State
673 So. 2d 799 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1995)
Smith v. State
581 So. 2d 497 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1990)
Hellums v. State
549 So. 2d 611 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1989)
Ebens v. State
518 So. 2d 1264 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1988)
Holsemback v. State
443 So. 2d 1371 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1983)
Ex Parte Anderson
434 So. 2d 737 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1983)
Dejnozka v. State
399 So. 2d 950 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Lehr v. State
398 So. 2d 791 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Voudrie v. State
387 So. 2d 248 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1980)
Thomas v. State
358 So. 2d 1076 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1978)
Rhine v. State
360 So. 2d 1056 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1978)
Glover v. State
347 So. 2d 592 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1977)
Price v. State
301 So. 2d 230 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1974)
McGuff v. State
268 So. 2d 877 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1972)
McGuff v. State
268 So. 2d 868 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
268 So. 2d 868, 49 Ala. App. 88, 1972 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 794, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcguff-v-state-alacrimapp-1972.