People v. Connor

83 N.W.2d 315, 348 Mich. 456
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 3, 1957
DocketDocket 45, Calendar 46,932
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 83 N.W.2d 315 (People v. Connor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Connor, 83 N.W.2d 315, 348 Mich. 456 (Mich. 1957).

Opinion

Sharpe, J.

The information filed in the circuit court for Bay county in this case charged the defendant with breaking and entering the I.G.A. grocery store located at 102 State street, Bay City, Michigan, on March 4,1954, with intent to commit larceny therein. Upon trial defendant was convicted and sentenced for a term of not less than 8 years. Upon leave being granted defendant appeals.

During the trial 2 res gestae witnesses, Donald Stanik and Leonard Fracowiak, testified and admitted their guilt in connection with the crime. It ¿p-pears that on March 4, 1954, Donald Stanik was on probation for a burglary he was convicted of in-Saginaw county in 1952. He also admitted the commission of 2 other burglaries in Bay City and Kaw-kawlin after the I.G.A. burglary. Leonard Fracowi-ak also participated in the I.G.A. burglary and so testified. He also participated with Stanik in the-2 additional burglaries. Neither of these witnesses, were prosecuted for the 2 burglaries committed subsequent to the I.G.A. burglary.

Both of these witnesses testified that they broke into the I.G.A. store and carried the safe outside where they received help from defendant, Lawrence-Connor, in putting it into- the trunk of Connor’s, automobile.

In appealing defendant urges that the trial court improperly restricted defense counsel in his cross- *459 examination of witnesses Stanik, Fracowiak' and Sergeant Aldrich. The gist of this complaint is that the trial court refused to permit defendant’s counsel to show the interest and bias of the named witnesses. As an example, defense counsel sought to show why the people’s witness Stanik did not testify to certain incidents upon the preliminary examination. His answer was that he was not asked the question. Defendant also states that he was not permitted to show the relationship between the 2 res gestae witnesses. Defendant was only restricted from -showing the relationship of 1 of the res gestae witnesses to the wife of the other res gestae witness. There was no error in the ruling of the trial court. Defendant also complains because the trial court excluded a question as to whether a witness “expected to be leniently treated.” The following took place during the trial:

“Q. You expected to he leniently treated, did you not, if you cooperated by telling the police that Con-nor was with you ?

“A. Well, I expected to he sent hack to Saginaw.

“Mr. Legatz: I move that that.be stricken out.

That isn’t responsive.

“Q. You expected to be leniently treated—

“The Court (interposing): Well, what do you mean by leniently treated, Mr. Legatz? That’s not a specific question, I don’t believe. One person might term something leniency and another might not.

“Mr. Legatz: Well, let’s see, your Honor, if the witness understands it, and if he said he doesn’t know what I mean, then we’ll—

“The Court (interposing) : I think it is the Court’s duty to interrupt when a question is asked which is not a clear question, and in my opinion that is not a clear question.

“Q. Well, didn’t you expect some consideration or something, some favor, some consideration so far as the penalties for your offenses were concerned if *460 you told the police that Connor was involved in this burglary, didn’t you expect something like that? # # *

“Q. I asked you if you expected consideration, failure to prosecute, or any leniency in connection with the 3 burglaries you committed, did you expect that?

“A. Well, you say failure to prosecute?

“Q. Did you? Yes.

“A. I expected it because they told me that they would file a nolle pros.”

It clearly appears that the witness answered the question asked. There is no basis for an error on this colloquy. We do not find that defense counsel was unduly restricted in his cross-examination of the res gestae witnesses.

It is also urged that the trial court erred in permitting the prosecuting attorney to elicit from Stan-ik the information relative to taking a safe to defendant’s home by Stanik and Fracowiak, and, also, allowing the prosecuting attorney to elicit from another people’s witness the fact that a frogman hired to locate the safe brought up 2 safes from the creek. In discussing this issue we have in mind that defendant was not charged with participating in the 2 subsequent robberies and the evidence shows that he was not present when these 2 robberies were committed. The record shows the following:

“Trojanowicz, Chester, called as a witness on behalf of the people, testified as follows:

“Direct Examination

“By Mr. Wood:

“Prior to a statement by Donald Stanik, I did not know where the safe taken in this prosecution was located. He admitted his guilt. He took me and Sergeant Aldrich to the spot where the safe was supposed to be. Prior to raising the safe, I con *461 tacted a frogman. He went down in the water of ■the creek.

“Q. And what was the result?

“A. He brought out 2 safes.

“Q. And I ask you, lieutenant, to look at people’s exhibit No 1 and ask you if that is one of the safes that was—

“A. Yes, that’s one of the safes that was taken out.”

It should be noted that the subject of safes was first brought to the attention of the jury by defense ■counsel’s questioning about subsequent burglaries. Moreover, defendant was not charged with any robbery of another safe. We fail to find any prejudicial error on this issue.

It is also urged that the court was in error in permitting people’s witness Aldrich over defendant’s objection, to testify to a custom of dropping all charges against a defendant on probation. The record shows that Stanik had participated in 3 burglaries. No complaints were filed against him for 2 of these burglaries. A complaint was filed against Pracowiak for only the I.G.A. burglary. Witness Aldrich testified that a defendant who is on probation is returned to the probation department and not prosecuted on new charges. It is. urged that the police and prosecutor approved dropping the charges against Stanik and Pracowiak in return for their testimony against defendant. Witness Aldrich stated that it was customary to drop charges in .such cases. The record fails to show that any promises were made to these witnesses for their testimony, moreover, it is customary procedure. We find no error in the evidence so given.

It is also urged that the comments of the trial judge and the, arguments of the prosecuting attorney deprived the defendant of a fair trial. We have examined the record carefully and find that many of *462

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Bluebook (online)
83 N.W.2d 315, 348 Mich. 456, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-connor-mich-1957.