People v. Piazza

67 N.W.2d 735, 341 Mich. 555
Michigan Supreme Court·Decided December 29, 1954·No. Docket No. 78, Calendar No. 45,794·Published

Opinion

Boyles, J.

The defendant, having waived jury trial, was tried and convicted by a judge of the recorder’s court of Detroit of a felonious assault by a dangerous weapon thereby wounding one Nick Puleo, without intending to commit murder or great bodily harm less than the crime of murder.* On leave granted defendant appeals.

For reversal appellant claims that the trial court was “prejudiced” because she refused to testify as to details to show her self-defense; that the verdict was “against the great weight of the evidenceand that the trial court erred in denying her delayed motion for new trial.

Four witnesses were sworn, 3 for the people, and the defendant in her own behalf. On June 20, 1952, the defendant was a waitress serving alcóholic beverages in “Tony’s Bar” in Detroit. Nick Puleo, the complaining witness, a brother-in-law of the owner of the bar, testified that he went into the place shortly before 12 o’clock at night, that he saw the defendant put her hand in the cash register taking money out, that he told her to put the money hack, told John Moore, the bartender, and that the bartender took the money away from her; that 30 or 40 minutes later he started to go into the kitchen to see the bartender, that the defendant was standing at the doorway, that when he stopped she stabbed him in the [557] left side, that he pulled the knife out and was taken to the hospital. He testified there was no trouble between them except about the money; and that one John Hausner was present when he got stabbed. John Hausner testified that he saw them (Nick Puleo and defendant) arguing previous to the stabbing but that he didn’t see the stabbing. He testified that he had arrived there about 12 o’clock and the first time the bartender went away from behind the bar the defendant went behind the bar while he was absent; that when the bartender came back Nick Puleo told him that the defendant had gone to the cash register; that he (the witness) had been sitting with Nick Puleo when the defendant opened the cash register, that she came around the bar, that Nick Puleo said, “What you got in your hand?” she said, “Nothing,” that she had her fist closed, that Nick grabbed her arm, she wouldn’t open her hand, that the bartender who was just coming out of the rest room opened her hand and took 2 one-dollar bills out of it. He testified further that as they were about to close the bar Nick Puleo got up and started to go to the kitchen, that as he (the witness) was walking out the front door he heard Nick Puleo and the defendant arguing, that he didn’t hear what they were saying, the voices were angry, and that Nick came running by him and said “Call the police, call an ambulance, John, I have been stabbed;” that Nick had his sport shirt open and his T-shirt was full of blood; that the bartender called the police and ambulance, that Nick Puleo was lying down in the street on the cement and then the police came. A police officer testified that he talked with the defendant at police headquarters the next day, June 21st, that she told him Nick Puleo had accused her of taking money from the cash register, that he held her until the bartender came, that he had taken $2 from her, that about an hour later she was in the kitchen when [558] Nick said he was going to tell Tony, the owner, about taking the money, that they became involved in an argument, that she picked up a knife from the table and stabbed him and that he went out the door.

The defendant testified that she was a waitress and barmaid at Tony’s Bar, that she was working the night of June 20,1952, that she saw Nick Puleo, the complaining witness, come in about 12 o’clock. Her testimony as to what happened at the stabbing was as follows:

“Nick then asked me if I was going to go out with him; I told Nick ‘No,’ so then Nick started to get— fool around.
“Q. What do you mean ‘fool around’?
“A. Get fresh.
“Q. You say get ‘fresh.’ What did he do?
“A. (Hesitating.)
“Q. Just tell the court what he actually did.
“A. He tried to molest me.
“Q. Well, just tell what he did. Don’t use those words. What did he actually do?
“A. (Hesitating.)
“Q. Did he touch you?
Ygs lie tried to.
“Q. Well, all right, tell the court what he did?
“A. He tried to touch me.
“Q. Where did he try to touch you?
“A. Oh—
“Q. Beg your pardon?
“A. Kind of embarrassing, don’t you think?
“Q. Just tell the court what he did.
“A. (Hesitating.)
“The Court: How old are you?
“A. 22.
“The Court: 22. Have you been married?
“A. Yes, I have.
“The Court: Are you married?
“A. Yes.
“The Court: Married now?
“A. Right.
[559] “The Court: Living with your husband?
“A. No. * * * After he tried to get fresh with me * * * I went to the kitchen to get the wine out of a jug; * * * He come in the kitchen, started doing the same stuff all over again.
“Q. (Mr. Welch [defendant’s attorney]): Now tell us what that same stuff was all over again.
“A. Embarrassing.
“Q. Huh?
“A. (No response.)
“Q. Tell us exactly what he did in the kitchen.
“A. (No response.)
“Q. "Will you please answer my question?
“A. He tried to touch my breasts for one.
“Q. What else?
“A. And that is all at the present time.
“Q. And did you have an argument with him?
“A. Tes, I did.
“Q. Did you stab him?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Why?
“A. Because he tried to fool around.
“Q. All right, tried to fool around. Now what did he do when he tried to fool around; you tell the court just what happened in your own words.
“A. (Sigh.) In other words he tried to bother me. It is embarrassing.

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

People v. Piazza, 67 N.W.2d 735, 341 Mich. 555 (Mich. 1954).

67 N.W.2d 735 (People v. Piazza) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

People v. Serra
3 N.W.2d 35 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1942)
People v. Vick
209 N.W. 584 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1926)
People v. Meert
121 N.W. 318 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1909)