State v. Caldwell

235 N.W. 649, 58 S.D. 246, 1931 S.D. LEXIS 62
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1931
DocketFile No. 7004
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 235 N.W. 649 (State v. Caldwell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Caldwell, 235 N.W. 649, 58 S.D. 246, 1931 S.D. LEXIS 62 (S.D. 1931).

Opinion

MISER, C.

Appellant was charged with the crime of assault with intent to commit robbery. The information filed set out that she did aid, assist, and abet one Nelson, one' Martinson, and one Ryan in making such an assault. Her demurrer thereto having been properly overruled, she made a motion for continuance. This was based on the affidavit of Albert M. Freeman, Esq., who was a member of the state Legislature then in session. Section 2498, Rev. Code 1919, on which appellant relied for continuance, provides that whenever any action, in which any member of the Legislature is the attorney in charge for either party, comes on for trial during the session of the Legislature, the attendance of such attorney upon such session shall be cause for the postponement of such trial until after the conclusion of such session, “provided such party or attorney shall serve notice, on the opposite party, of his intention to apply for such postponement at least fifteen days before the term or time at which such action or proceeding may be brought on for trial or hearing.”

Appellant was arrested on January 4, 1929, at Pipestone, Minn., and immediately taken to Brookings. At the preliminary examina[247]*247tion on January 5th she was represented hy Wallace E. Purdy, an experienced and able attorney .of that city. He .assisted her in securing the approval of the bail furnished. 'She then stated that her grandfather had a friend in Sioux Falls who was a lawyer whom she wanted to have take care of her case. Appellant had been unable to furnish bond until late in the evening of January 8, 1929. On January 9, she talked over the telephone to Mf. Freeman, then at Pierre. Ota January 14th Mr. Purdy received a letter from Mr. Freeman containing the motion for continuance and the affidavit of Freeman in support thereof. On her arraignment Mor. Purdy filed a demurrer to the information. This having been overruled, 'he filed a demurrer sent him by Freeman, which was also overruled. She then pleaded not guilty. Mr. Purdy then filed and presented the motion for continuance, Freeman’s affidavit, and his own affidavit in support thereof as well as appellant’s .affidavit of prejudice against the judge then presiding. The Hon. W. N. Skinner, called in to try the case, denied the motion for continuance on January 29.

On January 30, Judge Skinner called the case for trial. Mr. Purdy stated that he did not appear for the defendant except for the purpose of presenting Mr. Freeman’s application for continuance. The court formally denied the application for continuance. Appellant then stated in open court that s'he did not have counsel nor means of her own wherewith to employ counsel. At Mr. Purdy’s suggestion she was given an opportunity to talk with Mr. Freeman. At 5 :3o o’clock on the same day she was again before the court and stated that she desired to have the court appoint an attorney to defend her. The court thereupon appointed Mr. P’urdy to defend her. On the following day, January 31, defendant, by her counsel, Mr. Purdy, made an application for postponement and the case was postponed until February 15, At this time Mi. Purdy announced that Mr. T. R. Johnson, of Sioux Falls, was associated with him in the defense. They then moved for a change of place of trial, which was denied. No person could reasonably expect a more able or vigorous defense of a criminal charge than appellant received from her counsel. If then the matter of postponement is to be ruled either directly-or indirectly by section 2498., Rev. Code 1919, being part of the Code of Civil Procedure, appellant has not complied with its provisions requiring [248]*248the service of notice on the opposite party of her intention to apply for postponement, at least 15 days before the term. If, on the other hand, it is ruled) by section 4836, Rev. 'Code 1919, which is part of the Code of Criminal Procedure, then appellant has shown no prejudice whatever from the denial of her application for continuance. And this without any disparagement of the ability of the able counsel whom she sought to have defend her, but who was already in attendance upon his legislative duties when she sought his services. To construe and apply section 2498, as appellant contends it should be construed and applied1, could easily result in depriving our courts of criminal jurisdiction during the session of the Legislature. This section was designed to protect lawyers, public spirited enough to serve in the Legislature, from being penalized on that account, and 'was not designed to furnish another means of delay .in the trial of those charged with crime.

If one needed further proof of the zeal and ability with which appellant’s counsel represented their client, the perusal of the 106 assignments of error would1 satisfy the most doubtful. The overruling of the demurrer to the information, the denial of the motion for change of venue, already mentioned, were assigned as error, but we find no error therein. Nor was the disallowance of the challenge to the panel prejudicial error. Since this appeal was taken, this court has handed down opinions in State v. Karlen, 231 N. W. 915; State v. Smith, 232 N. W. 26; and State v. Hanley et al, 235 N. W. 516, which answer appellant’s contentions on that point, although there is a difference in the facts.

An understanding of the remaining assignments of error requires a statement of the facts. W'e first state the facts as given by appellant on the witness stand: She, a Sioux Falls girl, 19 years old, with Dorothy Ryan, also of Sioux Falls, was in Brooking with two Brookings young men in their early twenties, named ■Martinson and Nelson. The girls wanted to go back to Sioux Falls, but had no money. The boys had no money with which to take them. Even if Martinson could get the car belonging to his folks, the four had no money with which to- buy gas. They went into a cafe in search of some one who could help them to Sioux Falls. There appellant saw Henningson, whom she had seen once ■before in a Sioux Falls restaurant where she had worked. Appellant asked Henningson if he had a car to take her to Sioux Falls. [249]*249He said some one else was using his car. She asked him to loan her $2. He told her he would give it to her if she would walk down the street a ways. He left the restaurant. She followed him to a street corner where he handed her $2. This was about 6:30 or 7:00 p. m. She left Henningston and met Dorothy Ryan and Martinson, who liad1 procured a car. She waited in the car with them for Nelson. While waiting, appellant told them that Henningson had given her $2. Martinson remarked that Henningson must have more money, because he always had a lot. Appellant paid no attention to Martinson’s plans tO' get that money, because all she was thinking about was wanting to get home. They picked up Nelson, who had gone home to change his clothes. To him appellant gave the $2 to buy gas. 'Martinson suggested that they get Henningson’s money. Nelson objected. Appellant said that they should not do anything like that; that she wanted to gO' home. When appellant was asked on the witness stand, “At the time that you left Henningson did you make any appointments or date to meet him again ?” she replied: “I might have said something- about it. He might have said something about it but I did not. I don’t remember whether he did or not. I was not paying any attention to what he said 'at all.” After the discussion between Martinson, Nelson, Dorothy Ryan, and appellant had lasted about an hour, and after appellant had refused to go to meet Henningson, or to have anything to do with it, Dorothy Ryan got out of the car to1 go to meet Henningson.

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Related

Allen v. McLain
69 N.W.2d 390 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1955)
Flathers v. Wilson & Co.
255 N.W. 149 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1934)
State Ex Rel. Caldwell v. Skinner
238 N.W. 149 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1931)

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Bluebook (online)
235 N.W. 649, 58 S.D. 246, 1931 S.D. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-caldwell-sd-1931.