Rawls v. State

128 S.E. 747, 160 Ga. 605, 1925 Ga. LEXIS 216
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedJune 24, 1925
DocketNo. 4669
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 128 S.E. 747 (Rawls v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rawls v. State, 128 S.E. 747, 160 Ga. 605, 1925 Ga. LEXIS 216 (Ga. 1925).

Opinions

Hill, J.

The first and second headnotes do not require elaboration.

The third ground of the motion complains that the court erred in failing to charge the law of involuntary manslaughter. An examination shows that the law of involuntary manslaughter was not involved under the evidence either for the State or the accused. Golatt v. State, 130 Ga. 18 (60 S. E. 107); Drane v. [608]*608State, 147 Ga. 212 (2) (93 S. E. 217). Movant insists that under the evidence of Frank E. Shumate involuntary manslaughter was involved; and this evidence is quoted in the brief of counsel as follows: “As I was going down the hall, I looked into the soda-water stand, or cigar stand, and I saw two men in some sort of a struggle. My first impression was that they were scuffling — had no idea of a fight, and I took another step or two, and the pistol fired. At the time the second shot was fired Mr. Poindexter was with his back towards the end of the soda fountain, and Mr. Rawls was with his back towards the cigar stand. They were in contact. I don’t know in what way, but they were in contact; they appeared to be struggling. Mr. Poindexter was not lying on the floor when the second shot was fired. I am sure of that. He fell after the second shot was fired. The struggle began along the soda-water counter, and his left elbow touched the rear corner of the soda-water stand, and he fell on his back with his head between the counter and his feet towards the cigar stand.” We see nothing in this evidence to require the charge as contended. While the witness speaks of a “struggle” and of a “scuffle,” these terms alone do not necessarily mean that the participants in the rencounter were scuffling or struggling over a pistol. Mrs. Poindexter, a witness for the State, testified: “I got to the door when the first shot was fired. . . I saw Mr. Poindexter grab Mr. Rawls’ hand — he pulled his gun out of his right-hand pocket. The pistol was not exposed. Mr. Rawls reached into his pocket. Mr. Poindexter grabbed it after it was out; he grabbed his wrist, I could not say on which hand. Mr. Poindexter held it, and Mr. Rawls pulled it, and it fired directly past him, in the floor; and it made a graze. Mr. Poindexter had him by the right wrist. Mr. Poindexter, whether he was hurt or what, slipped. We have a leak in the fountain, and there was water on the floor which made it slippery. It was about a minute after the first discharge of the pistol that Mr. Poindexter slipped. They were tussling, and Mr. Poindexter was trying to hold his hand up, and he slipped and went back against the fountain, put his hand back this way [indicating] and went to the floor, still having his grasp on his wrist. Mr. Rawls shot him on the floor, the pistol being held right, at his body.” On cross-examination she testified: “When Mr. Poindexter started slipping, I knew he was gone, and I tried [609]*609to grab Mr. Rawls, and he shook me loose, and leaned over and pulled the trigger.” This evidence does not make a case of involuntary manslaughter. It makes a clear case of an effort by the accused to shoot the deceased, and an ineffectual effort on. the part of the deceased to prevent the shooting. Taking this evidence as the truth of the case, it would appear that there was a struggle between the parties, the deceased attempting to shove the pistol away from his own body, the result of which was that the deceased finally slipped to the floor, and then the accused deliberately and intentionally shot him. The defendant, in his statement, it is true, does relate circumstances which would perhaps have authorized a charge on involuntary manslaughter; but the court is not required, where there is no written request therefor, to frame a charge on facts stated alone in the statement of the accused. Hunter v. State, 133 Ga. 78 (6) (65 S. E. 154); Hawkins v. State, 141 Ga. 212 (80 S. E. 711). The cases relied upon by movant for his contention in this connection are all cases where the facts requiring the charge did not depend alone on the statement of the accused, and in one case the charge was duly requested in writing.

The court charged the jury, in part, as follows: “It is contended, among other things, on the part of the State, that there was an incriminating admission made by the prisoner, arising out of acquiescence which silence is supposed to give. You look and see whether or not any statement was made in the hearing of the prisoner. If it were not made, you give no heed to it. If it were made, you will determine, under all the facts and circumstances under the evidence, whether or not the prisoner heard it. If he did not hear it, you will give no heed to it. If he did hear it, then determine whether or not he had the opportunity, at that time, to deny the statement alleged to have been made, and you will determine further whether or not, at that time, and under these circumstances, he was under any duty to break the silence and to make a denial. If you find that these conditions existed, then you can consider the alleged admission, arising out of the alleged silence, along with all the other facts and circumstances in the case; but if you determine that any incriminating admission was made by him, you will receive that admission with great care.” It is complained in the sixth ground of the motion that the court [610]*610erred in giving this charge, because: (a) it was argumentative; (b) it was irrelevant and prejudicial to movant; (c) it was without evidence to support it. We can see no basis for the contention that the charge was argumentative. We do not think it was either irrelevant or prejudicial to the accused. It was not without evidence to support it, as is shown by the evidence quoted in the fifth headnote. In the fourth ground of the amended motion for new trial complaint is made of that part of the foregoing charge as follows: “If he did hear it, then determine whether or not he had the opportunity, at that time, to deny the statement alleged to have been made, and you will determine further whether or not, at that time and under these circumstances, he was under any duty to break the silence and to make a denial. If you find that these conditions existed, then you can consider the alleged admission, arising out of the alleged silence, along with all the other facts and circumstances in the case; but if you determine that any incriminating admission was made by him, you will receive that admission with great care.” It will be observed that the exception in the fourth ground is to a portion of the charge excepted to in the sixth ground. There is nothing in the language employed by the court which would authorize the criticism that the admission was given a higher probative value than is given to it by the law. The criticism of the charge states that the statute requires the admission to be “scanned 'with care.” The court instructed the jury to receive the admission “with great care.” We do not think it can be said that the statute throws a greater safeguard against such evidence than was done by the court on the subject of an admission by silence. We do not deem it necessary to discuss these criticisms in detail. We think it is sufficient to say that the charge was not erroneous for any reason assigned.

The fifth headnote does not require elaboration.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 S.E. 747, 160 Ga. 605, 1925 Ga. LEXIS 216, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rawls-v-state-ga-1925.