State v. Booth

185 N.E.2d 466, 90 Ohio Law. Abs. 33, 21 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 224
CourtTuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedAugust 8, 1962
DocketNo. 9710
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 185 N.E.2d 466 (State v. Booth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Booth, 185 N.E.2d 466, 90 Ohio Law. Abs. 33, 21 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 224 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Lamneck, J.

The indictment in this ease charged the defendant, Iona Ervin Booth, on or about the 24th day of May 1962, at the county of Tuscarawas, with unlawfully killing Blanche K. Ervin, contrary to and in violation of Section 2901.06, Revised Code.

Upon the application of the defendant, the Court ordered the Prosecuting Attorney to furnish the defendant with a Bill of particulars setting up specifically the nature of the offense charged. The Prosecuting Attorney complied with this request, and furnished the defendant with a Bill of Particulars which reads as follows:

“Now comes the Prosecuting Attorney of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and sets forth a Bill of Particulars as requested in the above entitled case as follows:

[35]*35“That the Defendant, Iona Ervin Booth, and mother of the deceased, Blanche K. Ervin, including but not limited to, failed and neglected to provide her physically and mentally handicapped child under twenty-one years of age, with the necessary or proper care; the necessary or proper food; and failed to avail her daughter of the necessary or proper medical services, thereby causing and allowing the body of her physically and mentally handicapped child to deteriorate and waste away to a state of severe emaciation, and ultimately resulting in death caused by malnutrition due to starvation. ’ ’

Upon trial the jury found the defendant guilty as charged.

The matter is now before the court on a motion for a new trial for the following reasons:

1. Irregularities in the proceedings of the Prosecuting Attorney.

2. Admittance of certain State exhibits into evidence.

3. Refusing defendant the opportunity to call a certain witness.

4. Error in the Court’s charge to the jury.

The defendant is charged with committing the crime of Manslaughter in the First Degree. Manslaughter in the First Degree is the unlawful killing of another, without malice, and either voluntary, upon a sudden quarrel, or unintentional, while the slayer is in the commission of some unlawful act. See State v. McDaniel, 103 Ohio App., 163, 144 N. E. (2d), 683.

The unlawful act complained of in this case is that incorporated in Section 3113.01, Revised Code, which in so far as it relates to this case provides that no parent charged with the maintenance of a physically or mentally handicapped child under twenty-one years of age shall fail to provide such child with the necessary or proper food and care.

Under the first ground of the motion for a new trial, the defendant charges the prosecuting attorney with misconduct to her prejudice in asking her on cross-examination, (1) whether or not she was jealous of the deceased because the deceased’s step father had shown a kindly attitude to the deceased, and (2) whether or not she had life insurance on the deceased.

She denied any jealousy on her part but admitted that she bad life insurance on the deceased.

[36]*36Where a defendant in a criminal case takes the witness stand in his own behalf, his testimony is weighed by the same measure and standards as the testimony of any other witness. See 58 American Jurisprudence, 372, Section 685.

His veracity and credibility may be tested by cross-examination as other witnesses may be tested. See 58 American Jurisprudence, 373, Section 687; Sabo v. State, 119 Ohio St., 231, 163 N. E., 28.

In the instant case the defendant is charged with the crime of manslaughter in the Fire Degree in the killing of another in an unlawful manner. A purpose to kill is not a necessary element of this offense, though the purpose to kill may exist. See Ervin v. State, 29 Ohio St., 186.

It was therefore proper for the prosecutor in his cross-examination of the defendant to ask any question not wholly remote from the question of innocence or guilt of the defendant that would tend to test her credibility as a witness, and especially to show intent even though intent is not a necessary element of the crime charged.

Under the second ground of the motion for a new trial, the defendant contends that it was improper for the court to admit into evidence State’s Exhibit No. 1. The decedent had been a helpless epileptic for sometime prior to her death according to substantial evidence offered by the State. She was found dead in bed in an upstairs bed room of the defendant’s home in Newcomerstown, Ohio, on May 24, 1962, in an extremely emaciated' condition with bed sores over a large part of her body. Death had occurred long enough according to medical testimony that maggots had hatched and were working on parts of her body. The coroner found the cause of death to be ‘ ‘ starvation, malnutrition. ’ ’

When the body was found, the Chief of Police of Newcomers-town was called and he proceeded to make an investigation. On May 25, 1962, in pursuance to his request, the defendant voluntarily walked to the City Hall in Newcomerstown from her home where the Chief asked her a series of questions concerning her family, the condition of and her care of the deceased, the ability of the deceased to care for herself, and other questions pertinent to the deceased and the cause of her death. Some of the [37]*37answers were favorable to the accused but some tended to show guilt.

The questions and answers were reduced to writing by the Chief and each page was signed by the accused. The concluding paragraph of the statement reads as follows:

“I have read the statements on this page and on the proceeding 6 pages and they are true to the best of my knowledge. No threats or promises have been made to induce me to make such statements and I am aware that what I have made may be used against me in a court of law. I have been advised that I might consult counsel if I so desire. I am aware that I need not of made these statements if I had so desired not to. I know to whom I gave this statement to and they are in answer to questions asked by two officers who identified themselves as Donald Patterson of the Tusc. Co. Prosecutor’s Office and John E. Lawver, Chief of Police of the Newcomerstown Police Department.”

The Chief of Police also testified that the defendant voluntarily made the statement without any threat, inducement or promise.

This statement could not be classified strictly as a voluntary written confession. A confession is an acknowledgment of guilt and covers the whole transaction. This statement was not such an acknowledgment. It did contain declarations and admissions of facts pertinent to the issue of guilt or innocence of the accused. It could be called a voluntary written admission.

It is uniformly held that voluntary declarations and admissions of an accused, direct or implied, of a fact or facts pertinent to an issue and tending to show his guilt are competent evidence against him. See 15 Ohio Jurisprudence (2d), Criminal Law, Section 388, page 561; Morrow v. State, 15 O. C. C. (n. s.), 561; State v. Meier, 72 Ohio App., 275, 51 N. E. (2d), 237; Jones v. State, 20 O. C. C. (n. s.), 542; Curtis v. State, 113 Ohio St., 187, 148 N. E., 834.

The mere fact that an admission is made to a police officer, or that a statement taken by such officer of an accused will be of benefit or advantage to the accused does not exclude its admission.

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Related

State v. Morris
455 N.E.2d 1352 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1982)
State v. Salmon
226 N.E.2d 784 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 N.E.2d 466, 90 Ohio Law. Abs. 33, 21 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 224, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-booth-ohctcompltuscar-1962.