Snider v. State

290 So. 2d 202, 52 Ala. App. 139, 1973 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1082
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedOctober 30, 1973
Docket1 Div. 425
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 290 So. 2d 202 (Snider v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snider v. State, 290 So. 2d 202, 52 Ala. App. 139, 1973 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1082 (Ala. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

ALMON, Judge.

Houston Snider, Jr., was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to thirty years in the penitentiary.

Appellant admitted the killing but relied on self-defense. The only question presented is whether the appellant should have been permitted to testify that he knew Bennie Lee Andrews, the deceased, carried a gun in his truck.

The killing occurred at the home of appellant and his common-law wife and her children. He had been living there with her for approximately eight years.

The testimony was in conflict but the appellant’s version of the occurrence was that he returned home “about night” to find the deceased present, along with his common-law wife, Dimple Pugh, Dimple’s daughter, Marlene Pugh, and other members of the family. He testified that when he arrived he told the deceased to leave. It is inferable from the record that the deceased was visiting either the appellant’s common-law wife or her daughter. The appellant testified as follows:

“Q. Where were you when you first spoke to Bennie Lee?
“A. We was out there in the yard.
“Q. Bennie Lee came out in the yard?
“A. Yes, sir, he come out there in the yard and I told him — I said, T thought I told you to leave,’ and he told me he would whip my damn ass—
“Q. What did he say ?
“A. He said he would whip my damn ass and I told him he was a damn lie—
“Q. Wait now — let me ask you the question and you answer it. Did you see Bennie Lee’s truck parked down here in front of the house ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Do you know whether Bennie Lee carries a gun—
“MR. KIMBROUGH: We are going to object to that, Your Honor.
“THE COURT: I sustain that.
“Q. You saw Bennie Lee’s truck out there ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Out in front of the house ?
“A. Yes, sir, out in front of the house.
“Q. You were talking to Bennie Lee right here (indicating) ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And what did he say to you ?
“A. He told me he would whip my damn ass and I told him he was a damn lie
“Q. Wait a minute. You went in the house ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And then what did he do ?
“A. He went to his truck.
“Q. Did you have any lights on in the house ?
“A. No, sir, we didn’t have none on.
“Q. Were there any lights on outside the house?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. Was it dark on the outside ?
“A. Yes, sir, it was dark.
“Q. There has been some testimony about an argument with your wife. Did you have an argument with your wife?
“A. Yes, sir, she did.
“Q. Did your daughter — did Marlene get involved in this argument ?
“A. Yes, sir, after me and her was arguing, I was kinda straddling her but I never did hit her.
“Q. You didn’t hit your wife ?
[141]*141“A. No, sir, I was just holding her and she took some scissors and stabbed me.
“Q. Marlene stabbed you ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What did you tell Bennie about this time ? Where was he ?
“A. He was standing at the door.
“Q. Bennie was standing at the door?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. All right. What did you do then?
“A. He went to the truck.
“Q. Did you say anything to him ?
“A. Yes, sir, I told him to go home.
“Q. Had you ever seen Bennie before this time?
.“A. That day?
“Q. Had you seen him before? Did you know Bennie Lee Andrews ?
“A. Yes, sir, tut we hadn’t never been into it—
“MR. KIMBROUGH: We are going to obj ect.
“THE COURT: Yes. Gentlemen of the jury, the last part of that answer is not for your consideration.
“Q. What did Bennie Lee Andrews do then after he went to his truck ?
“A. I told him to get back. I was scared and I shot him.
“Q. And he came up ?
“A. Yes, sir, he come up to the door steps and that is when I shot him.
“Q. What did you do ?
“A. I told him to get back.
“Q. Were you scared of him ?
“MR. KIMBROUGH: We object.
“THE COURT: Sustain it. That’s for the jury.
“Q. Did you believe he had a weapon?
“MR. KIMBROUGH: We object to that, Judge.
“THE COURT: Sustain it.
“Q. Did Bennie Lee Andrews make any response when you told him to leave ?
“A. He didn’t leave.
“Q. What did he do ?
“A. He went to his truck. I wasn’t shooting to kill him.
MR. KIMBROUGH: We object to that — -to any voluntary statement.
“THE COURT: Yes, I sustain it. Just answer the question and don’t volunteer anything.
“Q. Where was Dimple about this time that this took place? Was she in the house ?
“A. Yes, sir, she was but she said she left. She said she was outdoors.
“Q. And where was Marlene ?
“A. In the door I think
“Q. What did you do when you fired the shot?
“A. After I fired the shot, I run.
“Q. Which way did you run ?
“A. In the woods.
“Q. Did you take the gun with you?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Houston, you said you have known Bennie Lee Andrews for a while. You had known him for some time before this night ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What kind of work did you do?
“A. What kind of work ?

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Related

Snider v. State
290 So. 2d 206 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
290 So. 2d 202, 52 Ala. App. 139, 1973 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1082, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snider-v-state-alacrimapp-1973.