Merriman v. State

1972 OK CR 139, 499 P.2d 477, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 510
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 10, 1972
DocketNo. A-16506
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1972 OK CR 139 (Merriman v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Merriman v. State, 1972 OK CR 139, 499 P.2d 477, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 510 (Okla. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

BRETT, Judge:

Appellant, Elmer Merriman, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged in the District Court of Seminole County, Case No. 70-39, with the crime of murder. He was found guilty by jury verdict of the lesser included offense of manslaughter in the first degree with punishment fixed at four (4) years imprisonment. Judgment and sentence in accord with the jury verdict was imposed on September 28, 1970, and this appeal perfected therefrom.

It was charged that on August 27, 1966, the defendant did “shoot and discharge a leaden bullet” with a pistol into E. O. Marshall, causing his death. The evidence established that on August 27, 1966, at approximately 7:00 p. m., E. O. Marshall, the deceased, came to the home of Joan Whit-lock looking for her husband, Charley Franklin Whitlock. While Marshall was there the defendant arrived and also asked as to the whereabouts of Mr. Whitlock. According to Mrs. Whitlock, the defendant turned to Marshall and asked, “Where was that red dog that he [Marshall] hauled off from his [defendant’s] house yesterday?” Marshall replied, “Who? Me? You must be mistaken. You must have me mixed up with someone else.” Mrs. Whit-lock further testified that Marshall asked defendant who he was. As defendant started to leave, according to Mrs. Whit-lock, defendant told Marshall he would meet him down at the corner. As defendant left, Marshall again asked Mrs. Whit-lock who defendant was and then stated to [479]*479her that he, Marshall, “was gonna go find out what it was all about.” A while after both men had left, Mrs. Whitlock heard what she thought to be firecrackers. After the first sound there was a pause and then she heard two or three more. When her husband, Mr. Whitlock, arrived at approximately 7:30, Mrs. Whitlock related the events to him. Mr. Whitlock on his way home had observed Marshall’s pan-elled wagon down- by the corner and returned to it to see what had taken place. Mr. Whitlock found the body of Marshall lying in a bar-ditch beside the panelled truck. No one else was present at the scene. After finding Mr. Marshall’s body, Mr. Whitlock phoned the Sheriff’s office. A rifle was found under Marshall’s body.

Sheriff Nicholson testified that he was phoned by Mrs. Whitlock about the shooting near her residence and also received a call from Mrs. Heard who stated that her uncle, the defendant, had been shot and was at her house. Sheriff Nicholson notified his deputy, Mr. Arnold, who was instructed to go to the Heard residence. Sheriff Nicholson proceeded directly to the Whitlock residence.

When Deputy Sheriff Arnold arrived at the Heard residence a woman met him out front and directed him around back of the house. In the back yard the deputy found the defendant. Deputy Arnold asked the defendant “what was going on.” To which, the defendant replied “that E. O. Marshall had shot him and that he in turn had shot E. O. Marshall.” The defendant then gave the Deputy a .25 automatic pistol. The defendant told the Deputy he did not know if Marshall was dead and also advised the Deputy it had happened by the Whitlock residence. The Deputy took the defendant to the scene of the shooting and later to the hospital for emergency treatment of defendant’s injuries which included a gunshot wound in the finger and an eye injury.

Defendant testified that on August 27, 1966, he had gone to the Whitlock’s residence to look for Mr. Whitlock. Defendant had some trouble with his dogs, some having been poisoned. At the Whitlock’s, defendant asked Marshall about a little red dog. According to defendant, Marshall got angry and began cursing him. After leaving the Whitlock’s house, Marshall’s car overcame him. As defendant pulled over to let Marshall pass, Marshall jumped out and opened defendant’s door and began to hit defendant. Defendant kicked Marshall away, picked up his gun, and got out of his car. After alighting from his pickup, defendant and Marshall got into a fight during which defendant lost his glasses. Defendant testified that Marshall said “I’ll kill you.” According to the defendant, the deceased reached into his pickup and pulled out a .22 caliber rifle. They struggled for the rifle and it discharged, hitting the defendant in the right eye. Fearing that Marshall would shoot him again, the defendant fired at Marshall. Defendant then got into his pickup and drove to the Heard residence, which was about a mile and a quarter away. The officers testified as to the signs of a struggle at the scene.

It is defendant’s first contention that it was error for the trial court to overrule defendant’s motion for a directed verdict. Defendant argues that the evidence establishes nothing more than justifiable homicide. We cannot accept defendant’s contention as it is apparent that the evidence was more than sufficient to go to the jury for determination of the fact issues raised. Even though one view of the evidence might support a determination of justifiable homicide, this was a question for the jury to determine. We have often said that “it is for the jury to determine— under all the evidence and proper instructions from the court- — -whether appearances of danger were real, or apparently real, so as to justify action in self-defense.” Harris v. State, Okl.Cr., 448 P.2d 296. It is a familiar rule that “where there is a conflict in the testimony it is the exclusive province of the jury to weigh the evidence and ferret out the truth and if there is competent evidence to support their findings this Court will not disturb the verdict [480]*480on appeal.” Goodnight v. State, Okl.Cr., 366 P.2d 957. We conclude that the trial court did not err in overruling defendant’s motion for a directed verdict.

It is defendant’s second contention that the trial court gave improper instructions which were “confusing to the jury and prejudicial” to the defendant. The first of these challenged instructions, Number Ten, defendant claims, implied to the jury that unless the prosecution proved justification, the manslaughter “should be punished regardless of the justification or mitigation established by the defendant.” We cannot agree that the instruction either implied or stated such a result. Instruction Number Ten stated in essence that once the homicide was proven, the burden of proving mitigation that would justify or excuse the homicide devolves upon the defendant unless such is established by the prosecution’s proof. This instruction is a verbatim quotation of Title 22 O.S.1971, § 745. The trial court accurately stated the law, and the facts in the case warranted this instruction. Consequently, there was no error in this regard.

The next challenged instruction, Number Seventeen, the “aggressor” instruction, advised in substance that inflammatory remarks or insulting words do not constitute the provocation of, or justify, an assault. Defendant argues that this instruction was improper since there was no issue in the case concerning this particular point. We disagree. The evidence, both direct and circumstantial, warranted the giving of this instruction.

Next defendant challenges Instruction Number Twenty-two which advised the jury that the punishment upon conviction of murder was death or imprisonment for life. Defendant argues that the jury was “not qualified for the death penalty,” thus stressing “a most heinous capital offense” and punishment which “should not have been before them.” Again we must disagree. The trial court properly and accurately instructed the jury as to the punishment upon conviction for murder, and the issue of murder was properly before the jury. Murder is a most heinous capital offense.

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Related

Borden v. State
1985 OK CR 151 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1972 OK CR 139, 499 P.2d 477, 1972 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 510, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/merriman-v-state-oklacrimapp-1972.