State of Oregon v. Payne

244 P.2d 1025, 195 Or. 624, 1952 Ore. LEXIS 209
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1952
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 244 P.2d 1025 (State of Oregon v. Payne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State of Oregon v. Payne, 244 P.2d 1025, 195 Or. 624, 1952 Ore. LEXIS 209 (Or. 1952).

Opinion

LATOURETTE, J.

Defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree and appeals. On the 9th day of January, 1951, defendant entered the store of H. Nathan Butler in Portland and ordered a package of cigarettes. While Butler was ringing up the sale on the cash register, defendant took a revolver from his pocket, told Butler it was a holdup and to give him the money in the till. Defendant thereupon fired his revolver five times, two of the bullets penetrating Butler’s body, causing his death. One bullet entered his temple and the other entered his body between his ribs. Defendant was later apprehended and made a complete confession to the officers.

Defendant’s Assignment of Error No. I follows: “The Court erred in denying defendant’s motion for an order changing the date set for the trial from February 23, 1951 to March 12, 1951.”

The following significant statement is found in defendant’s brief:

“ * -* * A first degree murder, as defined by statute, was committed and a complete statement Tby defendant admitting all the facts was given to the authorities within five hours of the commission *627 of the crime * * *. A formal jury trial was not necessary under such facts to prove the defendant guilty, but a formal jury trial was necessary because a jury and not the judge had to fix the penalty. In effect counsel was appointed to represent the defendant in a trial the sole purpose of which was to fix the penalty. But even as to such a trial, and one might say especially as to such a trial an admitted felon, an ex-convict, who committed first degree murder, has rights and is entitled to a fair trial which term includes the right to a suitable time under all the circumstances to prepare his case, and that the trial be by an impartial jury for the purpose of fixing the penalty.
i i # * * * #
“Defendant plead not guilty when arraigned on January 23, 1951, at which time counsel had interviewed him only once. Counsel was aware that defendant was an ex-convict with five previous felonies, that he shot the deceased victim during an attempted holdup, and therefore coneededly a first degree murder had been committed.”

On the 10th day of January, defendant, being charged with murder in the first degree, was bound over to the grand jury, and on January 18, a true bill was returned by the grand jury charging defendant with murder in the first degree. On January 19, upon being arraigned, defendant being without counsel, the Honorable James W. Crawford, presiding judge, appointed Maurice D. Sussman, a member of the Oregon State Bar since 1933, as attorney to represent the defendant. The cause was thereupon continued until January 23, on which date Mr. Sussman requested that Harlow F. Lenon, a member of the Oregon State Bar since 1937, be appointed additional counsel for defendant, which appointment was thereupon made by the court. The defendant, in the presence of his counsel, on that date entered a plea of not guilty, and *628 the case was continued for trial until a later date to be selected by the court.

On January 29, the case was assigned for trial for February 23. On February 13, defendant, through his counsel, gave notice that “* * * it will be shown in evidence that he [Payne] was insane or mentally defective at the time of the alleged commission of the murder charged in the indictment.” This notice was duly recognized by the court. On this same date, Messrs. Sussman and Lenon appeared before the Honorable James W. Crawford and requested a continuance to March 12. This request was supported by Mr. Sussman’s affidavit, which, as pertinent, follows:

“I, MAURICE D. SUSSMAN, of attorneys for defendant, being first duly sworn, depose and say:
“That on Friday, January 19, 1951, I was appointed by Judge Crawford, the Presiding Judge, as attorney to represent the defendant; that the first opportunity I had to talle with the defendant was on January 23, 1951, immediately prior to the time set for the defendant to plead to the indictment, and at said time defendant plead not guilty; that I and Harlow Lenon, co-councel [sic] appointed by the Court to represent the defendant, have had several interviews with the defendant since his plea was entered and we are of the opinion and belief that the defendant was insane or mentally defective at the time of the alleged commission of the act for which he is charged for murder; that by reason of the facts disclosed to us by the defendant in these interviews and statements made to us and by his conduct, acts, expression of opinions and thoughts which he has made during these interviews we are of the opinion that the defendant should be examined by a physician and also a psychiatrist. That I believe it is my duty as attorney for this defendant to have a psychiatrist determine or at least express his opinion to us with reference to defendant’s mental state at the present time and *629 also whether or not in the opinion of the psychiatrist defendant was insane or mentally defective.
“That additional time is necessary to properly prepare the defense on behalf of the defendant, to select such psychiatrist and physician and to have snch examinations made.
“That at the time I was appointed attorney for defendant there were several matters pertaining to my private practice which have to be disposed of including several court matters during the week commencing February 12th and during the week commencing February 19th; that my regular business has prevented me from devoting sufficient time to the preparation of this case if the trial were to commence on February 23, 1951; that since being appointed I have spent considerable time in familiarizing myself with various phases of this ease and matters pertaining to criminal law and its procedure and I honestly and sincerely feel that I will not be properly prepared to defend this defendant if the trial were to commence February 23, 1951; that I am not making this request for the purpose of delaying this trial but I am requesting a postponement of approximately two weeks so that I may properly prepare the defense as I feel it is my bounden duty to do.
“/s/ MAURICE D. SUSSMAN”

Pursuant to the application of counsel, the court appointed Dr. Vivian B. Kenyon, a psychiatrist, Dr. Earl Smith, a physician, and Harvey Gratiot, a ballistic expert.

The trial, which started on February 23, was concluded on March 6. By a verdict of the jury, the defendant was found guilty of first degree murder without recommendation, whereupon he was sentenced to death.

Section 26-905, OCLA, provides that:

“ * * # When an indictment is at issue upon a question of fact, and before the same is called *630 for trial, the court may, upon sufficient cause shown by the affidavit of the defendant, or the statement of the district attorney, direct the trial to be postponed to another day in the same term, or to another term; and all affidavits or papers read on either side upon the application must be first filed with the clerk.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
244 P.2d 1025, 195 Or. 624, 1952 Ore. LEXIS 209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-oregon-v-payne-or-1952.