People v. Granillo

36 P.2d 206, 140 Cal. App. 707, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1105
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 18, 1934
DocketCrim. No. 2572
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 36 P.2d 206 (People v. Granillo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Granillo, 36 P.2d 206, 140 Cal. App. 707, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1105 (Cal. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

WILLIS, J., pro tem.

Defendant was charged by information with the crime of murder, to which was added the charge of a previous conviction of the crime of assault with intent to commit murder. Upon arraignment he entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder and admitted the previous conviction. He was tried before a jury which returned a verdict of guilty of murder of the second degree. A motion for new trial was made and denied and judgment was entered. From the judgment and the order denying the motion for new trial defendant has brought this appeal.

The grounds upon which appellant relies for reversal of» the judgment and order are as follows: 1. That the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict and judgment, in that the evidence shows that the wounds of which the deceased died were inflicted during a scuffle by a gun in the hands of deceased, and that there was no gun used by or in the possession of the defendant. 2. That the jury was unduly and prejudicially influenced by the closing argument of the district attorney in referring to the prior conviction and to the defendant as a “killer” by reason of such prior conviction. 3. That the trial court abused' its dis[710]*710cretion In denying defendant a new trial upon the ground of newly discovered evidence.

The evidence discloses that deceased, Antonio Loya, with his family, and defendant with his family were next door neighbors in West Los Angeles, and that some trouble had existed between them for some three months prior to the affray which resulted in the death of deceased. On February 14, 1933, deceased returned to his home from work, ate his dinner in the kitchen and' went into the dining-room and proceeded to read a newspaper. ITis wife and children then proceeded to eat their dinner in the kitchen. Defendant came to the back door between 6 and 7 o’clock in the evening, knocked at the door and then came into the kitchen and asked for deceased, who came to the door from the dining-room and conducted defendant into the front or living room of the house. There is undisputed testimony that at the time defendant was drunk. In a few minutes deceased and defendant went out the front door, deceased apparently assisting defendant to walk, and they passed out to the front walk along the front of defendant’s house and then to the rear thereof. Presently three shots were heard, and in a few moments deceased was seen to come to the front of the house with a gun in his hand. He proceeded to his own front lawn, where he fell and remained until an ambulance came and' removed him. He had a bullet wound in the posterior surface of the calf of the left leg, ranging downward at an angle of about thirty degrees, and one in his chest about two and one-half inches below the right nipple and two inches to the left of the nipple line. The bullet causing that wound was later found in his body beneath the right twelfth rib. It had ranged downward at an angle of thirty to thirty-five degrees. From the effects of that wound he died on February 27, 1933. Defendant, after the affray, left his yard by the back way, got in his automobile and disappeared. He was found and apprehended in El Paso, Texas, in February of 1934, and brought back to Los Angeles.

As to what took place in the rear of defendant’s house there is a conflict in the evidence, and it is upon the basis of the evidence creating this conflict that appellant assigns his claim of insufficiency of evidence.

[711]*711Willie Loya, stepson of deceased, aged fourteen years, was called and testified as a witness for the People. He testified that he was in the kitchen with his mother and other small children when defendant entered and passed into the front room; that he heard no sound of quarrel but saw deceased and defendant go out the front door; that presently he heard three shots, which sounded as coming from the rear, and that he at once ran out the front door, along the walk and then to the rear of defendant’s house on the side farthest from his home; that his mother went at the same time to the front, but did not follow him around the house; that when he reached the rear corner of defendant’s house he saw deceased and defendant fighting; that defendant had a gun grasped in his right hand, with his finger through the trigger guard, and that deceased was trying to get the gun away from him; that deceased had hold of defendant’s hand with the gun in it, while defendant struck deceased two blows with the other hand, on the face; that deceased finally got the gun away from defendant and started toward him but fell, and that defendant then ran away; that deceased arose and went to the front with the gun in his hand, while the witness, on his father’s direction, ran to the police station for help and a doctor; that he was not with the witness Henry Varella, but met him on the way to the police station.

Mrs. Loya testified that Willie Loya was in the kitchen when defendant entered, and was eating his dinner when she heard the three shots, and that Willie ran out the front door; that she also went to the front and there saw Mrs. Granillo; that she saw deceased come around to the front of defendant’s house with the gun in his hand; that she had never seen that gun before and that there was no gun in her house that night.

Defendant testified that on the evening in question he went to the home of deceased on his invitation, and then bought a pint of liquor from him, of which each drank some; that he then left the house, deceased going with him; that deceased insisted they go to the rear of- defendant’s house instead of entering by the front door, and that when they arrived at the rear deceased said, “Do you know that complaint that you put against me some time ago?” and then said, “Now I am going to show you a man”; that de[712]*712ceased then struck him and threw him to the ground; that he arose and saw deceased with a pistol in his hand; that he grabbed deceased by the hands and a shot was let out, passing between them; that they continued to struggle for about fifteen minutes, and a second shot went downwards, and then a third shot, while they were still struggling. He further testified that he at no time had a gun in his possession; that after the three shots had been fired the two continued to struggle and he gave deceased a shove and then ran towards the alley, took his automobile and came to Los Angeles; that at no time did he see Willie Loya at the scene of the struggle.

Mrs. Granillo, wife of defendant, testified that she saw Willie Loya with her nephew, Henry Varella, across a way or alley on the same side of the street as her house, in front of a Filipino’s house, at the time she heard a single shot; that she was just returning home from her sister’s house.

Henry Varella, nephew of defendant, testified that he was just opening the front door of defendant’s house, where he lived, when he heard one shot; that he immediately ran out to where his aunt, Mrs. Granillo, was; that he at that time saw Willie Loya seated on the steps of the Filipino’s house, and that he told Willie to go with him to the police station; that Willie Loya did not go towards defendant’s house; that his aunt told him to call the police officers.

Sam Mandivil, a witness called by the People, testified that he was approaching deceased’s house when he heard and saw Mrs. Granillo screaming; that he had heard no shots; that at Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
36 P.2d 206, 140 Cal. App. 707, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-granillo-calctapp-1934.