Pickens v. State

1969 OK CR 55, 450 P.2d 837, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 340
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 5, 1969
DocketA-14287
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 1969 OK CR 55 (Pickens 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
Pickens v. State, 1969 OK CR 55, 450 P.2d 837, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 340 (Okla. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

*839 NIX, Judge:

The plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was charged by ■information with the crime of Murder. He was tried before a jury and found guilty of Manslaughter in the First Degree and sentenced to 99 years in the penitentiary. He appeals to this Court in the time prescribed by law, asserting five assignments of error.

The facts surrounding the homicide out of which this prosecution arose, as reflected by the transcript, were briefly as follows. At about 10:00 p. m. on June 23, 1966, the defendant entered the Crystal Terrace Barbecue. Seated at a table were Julius French, Dave Barker, and the deceased, James Quinn. The defendant purchased a quart of beer. After some time had expired, Quinn and the defendant became engaged in a heated argument and vile names were exchanged between them. During the argument and apparently unnoticed by Quinn, the defendant pulled a small automatic pistol from somewhere on his person, cocked it, and stuck it under his belt. Quinn left for a few minutes and apparently went next door to a shine parlor where he was a shine boy. When he returned, the defendant asked him whether he had gone for a shotgun, to which Quinn replied, in effect, “Does it look like I have a shotgun?” Shortly thereafter, the defendant left and went to the other side of the establishment, the side where food was served. When the defendant returned, Quinn was standing at the jukebox with French. Without any further argument or discussion taking place, the defendant opened fire on Quinn with the same gun he had placed under his belt. Quinn fell to the floor, and as it later developed, died immediately.

Defendant’s first contention of error concerns the testimony of Dr. Violet, the pathologist, as it concerns the evidence relative to the bullets removed from the body of the deceased. Defendant contends these bullets were inadmissible and served no purpose except to influence the jury.

The only authority cited by defendant is the Oxendine case, Oxendine v. State, Okl.Cr.App., 335 P.2d 940. This writer was the author of the Oxendine opinion, and is thoroughly familiar with the contents thereof. In that case a nude colored picture of the deceased was shown on a screen portraying deceased’s body after an extensive autopsy had been performed and then sewn with large saddle stitching from the abdomen to the sternum and across the breast. We held in that case, since the picture was so gruesome and since the autopsy was no part of the work of the defendant, they could serve no purpose but to influence the jury.

In the instant case, the bullets were neither gruesome or ghastly and we call attention to Spence v. State, Okl.Cr.App., 353 P.2d 1114, a companion case to Oxendine, supra, where the Court said:

“Weapons, bullets, instruments, or other articles used or respecting which there is sufficient evidence to justify reasonable inference that they were or may have been used by the accused or his co-actors' in the commission of crime are admissible.”

It is quite evident that the rule laid down in the Oxendine case, supra, is not applicable herein, for there we held that where the probative value of the demonstrative evidence is not superseded by the danger of being prejudicial to defendant, it may be admitted. We cannot share defendant’s claim that the spent bullets created such prejudice. Of course, if the effect of demonstrative evidence is to arouse the passion of the jury and inflame them against defendant because of the horror of the crime, they should be excluded.

We see a vast distinction between the instant case and the Oxendine case, supra; and defendant offers no other authority. The contention is without merit.

Defendant’s second contention of error concerns the conduct of the Assistant District Attorney, Don Cunningham, in his argument to the jury. Defendant cites no authority in support of his contention. We have examined the excerpts of the argu *840 ment, and as the trial judge said in overruling defendant’s objection to the argument, “The court is of the opinion that this is reasonable argument of the evidence introduced in the case.” This Court is not prone to substitute its opinion for that of the trial judge, unless the error complained of was flagrant and of such a nature as to be prejudicial to the defendant. The rule is well-stated in Valenti v. State, Okl.Cr.App., 392 P.2d 59, as follows:

“The right of argument contemplates a liberal freedom of speech, and the range of discussion, illustration, and argumentation is wide. Counsel for both the State and defendant have a right to discuss fully from their standpoint the evidence, and the inferences and deductions arising therefrom.”

Also, see, 23A C.J.S. Criminal Law § 1093, pp. 137-143, which emphasizes the rule.

Defendant next contends the trial court erred in admitting into evidence certain statements made by defendant and introduced by the State. Defendant asserts that the statement introduced was not obtained by Constitutional process, and relies upon Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, 10 A.L.R.3d 974, and, Westover v. United States, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694.

It appears from a close review of the record that the rule laid down in the Miranda case, supra, was closely adhered to in the instant case, and explained in the Attorney General’s brief, as follows:

The record reflects that lengthy proceedings on this question were had in the trial judge’s chambers, concerning the admissibility of the oral and written statements of the accused given to Officer Stanfill at the police station, the trial judge sustained the objection of defense counsel as to any testimony of the arresting officers concerning such statement and overruled the objection as to the testimony of Officer Stanfill as to the oral statement made to him and also allowed the written statement to be admitted in evidence. It is the contention of counsel that permitting such testimony and evidence to go to the jury violated the defendant’s constitutional rights, particularly the privilege against self-incrimination as enunciated by the United States Supreme Court in the case of Miranda v. Arizona, supra.

The holding of Miranda is summarized in the body of the opinion, as follows:

<< * * * * * *
To summarize, we hold that when an individual is taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom by the authorities in any significant way and is subjected to questioning, the privilege against self-incrimination is jeopardizéd. Procedural safeguards must be employed to protect the privilege, and unless other fully effective means are adopted to notify the person of his right of silence and to assure that the exercise of the right will be scrupulously honored, the following measures are required.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1969 OK CR 55, 450 P.2d 837, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pickens-v-state-oklacrimapp-1969.