Rich v. State

1931 OK CR 328, 1 P.2d 805, 51 Okla. Crim. 418, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 312
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 18, 1931
DocketNo. A-7907.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1931 OK CR 328 (Rich 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
Rich v. State, 1931 OK CR 328, 1 P.2d 805, 51 Okla. Crim. 418, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 312 (Okla. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

CHAPPELL, J.

Plaintiffs in error, hereinafter called defendants, were convicted in the district court of Seminole county of the crime of robbery with firearms, and their punishment fixed by the jury at imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of five years.

The evidence of the state was that Norma Eagsdale was running a soft drink and barbecue stand on a highway in Seminole county, and was being assisted by one Myrtle Hale; that on the day of the robbery the defendants came to the soft drink and barbecue stand and demanded $25 protection money from the Eagsdale woman; that upon being refused they started to beat her up and' she fled; that at about that time Myrtle Hale went into the tent back of the pop and barbecue stand to see what *420 the difficulty was; that one of the defendants assaulted her and covered her with a pistol and took by force and fear from her immediate presence one 17-jewel Hamilton watch, one 'brown gladstone suitcase, two silk dresses, one leather hat box, and a stock of candy and chewing gum of the value of $100; that the defendants tore the dress and slip off of Myrtle Hale and one of them struck her and knocked her on the bed; that they tore the brassiere and step-ins from her body, and, while the defendant Rich covered her with a revolver with one hand and held her with the other hand, the defendant Kygar raped her; that defendant Rich then attempted to rape her, but abandoned it without accomplishing his purpose; that the Hamilton watch was found in the possession of defendants when they were searched after their arrest, and that the officers had a description of the automobile and had found it, and the defendants came to the police station looking for it, claiming it had been stolen from them; that at that time they denied being at the tent or having anything to do with the robbery, but, when confronted by the women, said that some of the stuff was in the suitcase in the car. When informed by the officers that the suitcase was not in the car, defendants thereupon said the suitcase was in a garage at St. Louis.

Defendants testifying for themselves said that they were at the pop and barbecue stand with some parties and bought 7% pints of whisky for which they paid $7; that one of the truck drivers who was there bought $10 worth of whisky, which the defendants and the women and the truck drivers drank; that defendants, after drinking some, left the place and went to Seminole; that the car was taken from the street and they went to the police station to look for it, but denied that they had committed the robbery. The defendants explained their possession *421 of the watch by saying that they had loaned the girls $5 on it.

The evidence of the state is sufficient to support the verdict of the jury.

Defendants contend first that the court erred in forcing them to trial over their objection that a list of the witnesses to be used in chief by the state had not been served upon them at the time of arraignment.

The record discloses that the defendants were arraigned in the district court on November 4, 1929, and that at this time all formalities of the arraignment and time to plead were waived, and that both defendants entered their pleas of not guilty of the crime of robbery with firearms.

The record further discloses that on the 18th day of December, 1929, this cause came on regularly for trial, at which time defendant’s counsel claimed defendants had not been served with a list of the witnesses at the time they were arraigned, and declined to announce ready for trial, whereupon the following statement was made by the court:

“The Court: Mr. Clerk and Mr. Court Reporter, let the record show in this case that the defendants have heretofore been duly arraigned and at that time a copy of the information with a list of the witnesses was served on the attorney of record in the case and the defendants being present at the time it was served. Is the state ready for trial?”

The objection made by the defendant reads:

“If Your Honor please, at the time they were arraigned they were not served.”
“If Your Honor please, we don’t want to waive that question.”

*422 This objection was insufficient, for the reason that it merely claimed that the list of witnesses was not served upon them at the time of their arraignment. The Constitution makes no such requirement. The requirement is that a list of witnesses shall be served in capital cases two days before the trial. Thereupon the court announced ready for trial for the defendants and ordered a jury impaneled. Defendants saved no exceptions to the order of the court.

It is contended by defendants that the fact that they were present in open court when a copy of the information and list of witnesses was served on their counsel is insufficient, as the Constitution requires that the list shall be served upon them personally.

That part of article 2, § 20, of the Constitution, pertinent to the issues here, is as follows:

“* * And in capital cases, at least two1 days before the case is called for trial, he shall be furnished with a list of the witnesses that will be called in chief, to prove the allegations of the indictment or information, together with their post-office addresses.”

In Franklin v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 178, 131 Pac. 183, this court said:

“The defendant in a capital case may waive his constitutional right to be furnished with a list of the witnesses that will be called in chief to prove the allegations of the indictment or information, together with their post-office addresses, at least two days before the case is called for trial.”

In Pollock v. State, 26 Okla. Cr. 196, 223 Pac. 210, this court said:

“The service of a list of witnesses upon defendant to be used by the state in chief is a matter which the defend *423 ant can waive and which he does waive if no timely objection is interposed.”

In Manning v. State, 7 Okla. Cr. 368, 123 Pac. 1029, this court said:

“The law does not prescribe the manner in which the names of witnesses in a capital case shall be furnished the defendant. If it be made to appear to the satisfaction of the trial court that such names were furnished the appellant at least two days before the case was called for trial, the manner in which the names were so furnished becomes immaterial.” State v. Frisbee, 8 Okla. Cr. 406, 127 Pac. 1091; Franklin v. State, 9 Okla. Cr. 178, 131 Pac. 183; Goben v. State, 20 Okla. Cr. 220, 201 Pac. 812; Pollock v. State, 26 Okla. Cr. 196, 223 Pac. 210.

Where at the time of arraignment, and more than two days before the trial in a capital case, upon the order of the court the defendants’ counsel, in the presence of defendants, is given a copy of the information upon which the names of the witnesses to be used by the state in chief are indorsed, this service in open court is sufficient service upon the defendants to meet the requirements of article 2, § 20, of the Constitution.

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Related

Tanner v. State
102 S.E.2d 176 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1958)
McAllister v. State
1953 OK CR 116 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1953)
Wheeler v. State
1947 OK CR 138 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1947)
Holt v. State
1947 OK CR 65 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1947)
Saied v. State
1938 OK CR 99 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1938)
Nowlin v. State
1931 OK CR 437 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1931)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1931 OK CR 328, 1 P.2d 805, 51 Okla. Crim. 418, 1931 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rich-v-state-oklacrimapp-1931.