Pitts v. State

1952 OK CR 159, 251 P.2d 527, 96 Okla. Crim. 178, 1952 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 247
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 3, 1952
DocketNo. A-11690
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1952 OK CR 159 (Pitts 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
Pitts v. State, 1952 OK CR 159, 251 P.2d 527, 96 Okla. Crim. 178, 1952 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 247 (Okla. Ct. App. 1952).

Opinion

POWELL, J.

J. D. Pitts, plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged by information filed in the district court of Tulsa county with the crime of unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor, second and subsequent offense. A jury being waived, the trial was before the court, who found the defendant guilty and assessed punishment at a $250 fine and sentence of 60 days incarceration in the county jail.

The evidence discloses that two Tulsa county sheriff’s deputies, armed with a search warrant, searched defendant’s residence in Tulsa and obtained twelve pints of Sunnybrook whiskey. The defendant testified and admitted that the whiskey belonged to him, but claimed that he did not have the same for sale, but for his own personal use. On cross-examination, however, he did admit that he had a federal liquor dealer’s stamp but stated that it was for a different [179]*179address. He also admitted that previously he had been convicted of a charge of unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor in Tulsa county. The question of fact as to possession, with intent to sell, as indicated, was resolved against defendant by the court as the trier of facts, in absence of trial before a jury..

The record discloses that at the time of arraignment defendant was represented by a different attorney than the one who represented him at the trial. The first attorney entered a plea of “not guilty” for the defendant and filed a demurrer to the information, reading:

“1. That said information does not state fact sufficient to charge any offense under the laws of the State of Oklahoma.
“2. That said information does not conform to the requirements of the Crminial Code of the State of Oklahoma.
“3. That said information does not state facts sufficient to confer jurisdiction upon this court.
“4. That said information is uncertain, indefinite and vague, and does not inform the defendant of the offense with which he is charged with sufficient certainty as to enable him to defend against said information.”

This demurrer was never acted upon. Several continuances were granted defendant, and defendant waived trial before a jury. Finally the case came on for trial on September 6, 1951, and defendant was represented by new counsel. On September 8, 1951, motion for new trial was filed, but it was not alleged therein that the court had acted on the demurrer in question nor was any complaint made as to the sufficiency of the information. In petition in error, filed in this court two specifications of error are alleged being:

“1. That the court erred in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the information on which the defendant was tried.
“2. That the court erred in overruling defendant’s motion for new trial.”

The record refutes the proposition that the demurrer was ever urged or acted upon. Accordingly, it was waived.

But defendant here urges that even though this court should take such view, still the information is so fatally defective by reason of failure to state a public offense, which is a jurisdictional matter, that the question can be raised at any time. Cited are the cases of Clark v. State, 11 Okla. Cr. 494, 148 P. 676; and Ponder v. State, 74 Okla. Cr. 360, 126 P. 287, and Beard v. State, 91 Okla. Cr. 319, 218 P. 2d 655.

It is true that a jurisdictional question may be raised at any stage of the proceeding. The question, then, is whether or not the information was so totally defective as to fail to state a public offense.

We shall quote that portion of the charging part of the information claimed to be defective, to-wit:

“* * * that J. D. Pitts on the 13th day of March, A. D. 1951, in Tulsa County, State of Oklahoma, and within the jurisdiction of this court, did unlawfully, wrongfully, wilfully, and feloniously, have in his possession certain intoxicating liquor, to-wit: Twelve pints of Sunnybrook, with the unlawful intent then and there upon the part of said defendant to barter, sell, give away and otherwise furnish same in violation of the prohibitory liquor laws of the State of Oklahoma ;

It will be noted that the county attorney in preparing the information failed to include the word “whiskey” following the descriptive phrase: “Twelve Pints of Sunnybrook.”

[180]*180Of course, if the demurrer filed had been urged, it was sufficient to have called the court’s attention to the discrepancy, and it can be assumed that the court would have sustained the demurrer, but would have permitted and directed the amendment of the information instanter by the addition of the word “whiskey” following the name “Sunnybrook.” Clasby.v. State, 78 Okla. Cr. 45, 143 P. 2d 430. But the court did not have this opportunity. Neither did the trial court on motion for new trial have opportunity to consider this matter. The question is raised for the first time in this court. The purpose and function of a demurrer is to defeat the information without a trial when it appears that it is subject to objections named in Tit. 22 O.S.A. § 504. To now grant a new trial on account of the discrepancy in question would mean, perhaps, many months or even years delay before the within case would finally be concluded, when the evidence adduced shows without question that the defendant was in possession of the intoxicating liquor alleged and shown by the evidence to have been Sunnybrook whiskey, and that he possessed a Federal retail liquor dealer’s license, and had previously been convicted on a possession charge.

Did the allegations of the information state a public offense? It does allege defendant possessed “certain intoxicating liquor” specifically described as “twelve pints of Sunnybrook.” Whether such liquid was in fact intoxicating was a question for the trial. The information alleged that it was intoxicating and that was sufficient to charge an offense.

Where the sufficiency of the information is for the first time challenged in this court, the rule is that every intendment or presumption will be indulged to sustain it. Hensley v. State, 34 Okla. Cr. 345, 246 P. 886.

In this day of communications undreamed of only a few generations back, words descriptive of goods, wares and merchandise have come to have general and universal meaning. One has only to consider a few examples to realize this. What is brought to mind and unmistakably meant by the term “Cadillac”? Would you say a hotel? There is such a well known hotel! But if the conversation concerned motor vehicles, would you think of a motor truck, a scooter, a half-track, or a tank? Without doubt you would know that a Cadillac automobile was meant. But, on the other hand, if “A General Patton” was mentioned, you would know that the reference was to a tank. What is at once brought to mind by “Erigidaire”, or “Coca Cola”, or “12 packages of Camels”, or “Chesterfields”, “Lucky Strikes”, or “A Winchester”, or a “Smith <& Wesson”, or a “tin of Prince Albert”? Anyone can think of innumerable illustrations proving this point. Taken in connection with the context, in this day of radios, television, billboards and other avenues of enlightenment, not many persons with average intelligence would be found who would not say at once that an intoxicating liquor described as “Sunnybrook" was whiskey.

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

Related

Owens v. State
1988 OK CR 209 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1988)
Lane v. State
1977 OK CR 328 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1952 OK CR 159, 251 P.2d 527, 96 Okla. Crim. 178, 1952 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pitts-v-state-oklacrimapp-1952.