McGullion v. State

477 So. 2d 477, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 4904
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 26, 1985
Docket7 Div. 267
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 477 So. 2d 477 (McGullion 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
McGullion v. State, 477 So. 2d 477, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 4904 (Ala. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

LEIGH M. CLARK, Retired Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment of conviction and sentence in a case in which a jury had found defendant guilty under an indictment that charged in pertinent part that defendant:

“... did knowingly enter or remain unlawfully in a building of Pelham Hubbard, doing business as Jakes Groceries Number 1, with intent to commit a theft or a felony therein, to-wit Theft of Property, and while effecting entry or while in said building or in immediate flight therefrom, the said defendant or another participant, to-wit: Richard Henry Job-son, was armed with an explosive or deadly weapon, to-wit: a shotgun, in violation of Section 13A-7-6 of the Code of Alabama,....”

No issue is raised on appeal as to the sufficiency of the evidence to justify a submission to the jury of the issue as to defendant’s guilt, and we are confident that there was substantial evidence thereof. The trial court submitted the issue as to defendant’s guilt as to the crime expressly charged and also as to his guilt of the lesser included offense of burglary in the third degree, which is defined by § 13A-7-7(a) as conduct whereby one “knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime therein.” By the final issue presented by appellant, he contends that the verdict was “against the weight of the evidence” in the failure of the evidence to show that either “appellant or state witness Richard Henry Jobson was armed with a weapon during the course of the burglary or in the immediate flight therefrom,” as required by § 13A-7-6(a)(l), which issue we will discuss later on in this opinion. We find it unnecessary to narrate the evidence, other than to state that it shows without dispute by the testimony of law enforcement authorities and the owner of the premises that a burglary was committed and further shows by the testimony of State’s witness Richard Henry Jobson that appellant was a participant in the burglary. When the State rested its case, the defendant also rested without calling any witness in his behalf.

I.

By the first issue presented in the brief of counsel for appellant, he contends that [479]*479“the prejudicial testimony of State witness Richard Henry Jobson” was “so damaging to the appellant herein that the curative instruction given by the trial judge could not have cured the prejudice that attached to appellant therefrom, thus requiring a reversal of appellant’s conviction.” This issue, we think, requires a rather detailed discussion as to the language or meaning of the “testimony of State witness Richard Henry Jobson.” We will endeavor to narrate that part of the transcript of the proceedings that has a material bearing upon the issue and as to the misunderstanding with reference to it.

After witness Jobson had testified that he had a criminal record of the commission of some crime and that he had had at one time previously, rather recently, occupied an apartment jointly with defendant and was in the process of testifying as to his participation in the burglary alleged in the indictment in the instant case, the trial court had a brief hearing out of the presence of the jury to determine whether the witness was testifying voluntarily or not and after the trial court had determined such voluntariness and that the witness did not desire the appearance of an attorney in behalf of the witness, his direct examination in the presence of the jury was resumed as follows:

“Q. Mr. Jobson, have you made any agreements with the State of Alabama in return for your testifying here today?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And what is that agreement?
“A. Ten years and ten years on each case run concurrent.
“Q. Is that to the best of your knowledge, is that to be served in the State penitentiary?
“A. Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: The Jury can’t hear you, Mr. Warren [State’s attorney].
“Q. Will you speak into the microphone, please?
“A. Yes, sir.”

The witness then procéeded lengthily to detail the participation by him and the defendant, describe their movements, the merchandise that was stolen from the store, and concluded with his testimony on such direct examination by stating that the motor vehicle with which the two went to the store was owned by “Billy McGullion” to the knowledge of the witness. Cross-examination of the witness by defendant’s attorney was commenced as follows:

“Q. Okay, Richard Henry Jobson?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Mr. Jobson, in response to Mr. Warren’s question earlier you said you plead to what, now? What are you pleading to, I believe you gave us a figure or number of years that you were pleading to something; tell the Court and the jury what that agreement is you have, please, sir.
“A. Ten years on each case.
“Q. On each case?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What cases, please, Mr. Jobson?
“A. Other pending felonies in this county-
“Q. How many other pending felonies in this county now, sir?
“A. I have no idea.
“Q. How about — how about ten?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. You have ten pending felonies in this county, right now?
“A. I believe that was it.
“Q. Okay, and what’s your deal, again?
“A. Ten years on each one to run concurrent.
“Q. So in other words if you testify against my client under oath here today, you point a finger at my client, you’re going to get for ten pending felonies ten years in jail?
“A. Yes, sir.”

The cross-examination of the witness continued for about twelve more transcript pages, and then the redirect examination of the witness commenced. Soon thereafter in the redirect examination, the following occurred:

“Q. You said you had a deal with the State. Mr. Levinson went into a package [480]*480I believe; what were you supposed to do for those concurrent sentences?
“A. I was to testify.
“Q. Who were you- supposed to testify against?
“A. Billy McGullion.
“Q. Is that in each of those cases?
“A. Yes, sir.
“MR. LEVINSON: Your Honor, I would object. Was that question was he to testify against my client in every case that I asked Mr. Jobson about? Because if so, that’s not correct. He’s a co-defendant with him in this case but not in those other nine burglaries.
“THE COURT: All right.
“MR. LEVINSON: Was that the question?
“MR. WARREN: Okay, that’s not a true statement, either, but.
“MR. LEVINSON: No—
“MR.

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Related

Jones v. State
987 So. 2d 1156 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
477 So. 2d 477, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 4904, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgullion-v-state-alacrimapp-1985.