Phipps v. State

474 S.W.2d 154, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 511, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 413
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJune 3, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 474 S.W.2d 154 (Phipps v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Phipps v. State, 474 S.W.2d 154, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 511, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 413 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinions

DWYER, J.

Elbert Phipps appeals from the judgment of the Circuit Court of Coffee County confining him to the State Penitentiary for not more than five years after a jury found him guilty of committing grand larceny.

The defendant seeks diminution of this record for the transcript of the proceeding on preliminary motions [515]*515and motions alleging indigency, also incorporation oí portions of transcripts of prior trials and the charge given to the jury in this case. He seeks to invoke the protection of T.C.A. 40-2029, et seq. The bill of exceptions has been timely filed and approved by retained counsel. The trial court denied the defendant’s request for a free transcript of portions of the record of the prior trial, the preliminary speedy trial motion, and the indigency hearing. In the order denying the requests the court found that the defendant was not an indigent and that he was working and being paid a good wage. We note that defendant was out on bond and had the services of two retained counsel. Indigency is a factual situation which the trial court found adverse to counsel’s contention. We see no reason to disturb, under this record, the ruling of the trial court.

The office of diminution of the record means simply to supply a material portion of the record omitted by the clerk. Such state of omission is not to be found in this record. As we view counsel’s motion for diminution of the record it appears that to allow such would be a misuse of the office of diminution. To allow what counsel requests would be an enlargement on the bill of exceptions after the time has expired. The trial court allowed thirty days from the overruling of the motion for a new trial for the bill of exceptions to be filed. The granting of additional time is within the discretion of the trial court and will not be interfered with in the absence of an abuse of that discretion. See 4A C.J.S. Appeal & Error sec. 868, p. 799. We find no such abuse in this record. To review the proceedings had as requested it was the duty of counsel to have those matters contained in the record. The motion for diminution is denied.

[516]*516The facts reflect that the business house of Campbell’s Electronics in Tullahoma, Tennessee, was burglarized in the night hours of July 25, 1968. The Chief of Police of Manchester received from an informant information that the defendant was responsible for the burglary and the removal from Campbell’s Electronics merchandise valued at $1,000. The informant, pursuant to directives of the investigating officers, prearranged a meeting to purchase this stolen merchandise from the culprits. The officers secreted themselves and observed the defendant and another person load from their car to the informant’s car merchandise in two burlap bags, later identified as containing the stolen merchandise, into the trunk of the informant’s car. The informant left the rendezvous and was met within a short time by the officers, the stolen merchandise in the bags being taken from the trunk of the car. The defendant did not testify at the trial. He produced witnesses, mother and father, to establish a defense of alibi that he was in Indiana at the time of the burglary. The trial court directed a verdict of not guilty as to the burglary count in the indictment.

The defendant contends in numerous assignments of error that the judgment imposed is contrary to the law.

He contends in several assignments that by actions of the trial judge he was denied a fair trial. We have noted in the record that there was an apparent air of hostility between counsel and the court. In a bitterly contested lawsuit such as this adversaries and the court should never lose sight that in our system of justice an accused is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The personal feelings of the principals should never spill over that bulwark. We have reviewed the various assignments [517]*517pertaining thereto and the nnfortnnate remarks which were made. We cannot say they affected the results or denied the defendant a fair and impartial trial. They are accordingly overruled.

The defendant contends that when the rule was asked for the sheriff was allowed to stay in the courtroom and testify. It appears his testimony was cumulative to the Chief of Police’s testimony and therefore if it was error it did not affect the results. The assignment is overruled.

The defendant contends the court erred in allowing the State to ask leading questions. The questioning and control of the testimony of witnesses is a matter within the discretion of the trial court unless we find the questions to be not only clearly leading but clearly prejudicial. The action of the trial court will not be interfered with. See Hale v. State, 198 Tenn. 461, 476, 281 S.W.2d 51. The question pertaining to the stolen articles contained in the indictment was clearly leading. On cross-examination the reference to the stolen articles elicited by the leading questions was delved into with the same results had. We find no prejudice here. The assignment is accordingly overruled.

The defendant next contends that the bill of exceptions contains omissions; therefore, there has been a denial of a complete and accurate report of the proceedings. We view this assignment in the light that the bill of exceptions as filed appears to have omissions, as alleged. The defendant has not shown where or how because of the omissions he has been prejudiced. See Hunter v. [518]*518State, 222 Tenn. 672, 440 S.W.2d 1,10. The assignment is accordingly overruled.

The defendant contends the court erred in not directing a verdict of not guilty. There was proof developed that the bags transferred to the informant’s car contained the stolen merchandise. In other words, the court was aware of these facts and circumstances and the inference pertaining thereto when denying the motion for a directed verdict. See Ridley v. Spence, 61 Tenn.App. 571, 456 S.W.2d 846. The assignment is accordingly overruled.

The defendant next contends that it was error for the court not to sustain the defendant’s motion of double jeopardy made at the close of the State’s proof. The defendant bottoms this contention on the fact that this offense had been developed in a prior trial for another offense under the theory of system, scheme or device. There is no merit in this contention. Defendant was on trial and in jeopardy for the burglary of a business house in Tullahoma occurring on July 17, 1968, and not in jeopardy for this offense. The assignment is accordingly overruled.

The defendant has made several contentions regarding the burglary offense. In view of the action the trial court made in directing a verdict of not guilty on the burglary charge, these assignments are moot.

The defendant contends the court erred in not .allowing the father to testify as to alleged retardation of the defendant. This assignment has not been briefed. He relied upon alibi as his defense to the charge of bur[519]*519glary. We do not think that the mental capability of the defendant was called into play by this defense. We further note that no explanation was offered as to his possession of the stolen property.

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Phipps v. State
474 S.W.2d 154 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
474 S.W.2d 154, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 511, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phipps-v-state-tenncrimapp-1971.