State v. Cole

377 P.2d 168, 233 Or. 141, 1962 Ore. LEXIS 492
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 31, 1962
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 377 P.2d 168 (State v. Cole) 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 v. Cole, 377 P.2d 168, 233 Or. 141, 1962 Ore. LEXIS 492 (Or. 1962).

Opinion

ROSSMAN, J.

This is an appeal by the defendant, Roy Wilkins Cole, from a judgment entered by the circuit court which adjudged him guilty of the crime of Knowingly Uttering and Publishing a Forged Bank Check. The judgment was based upon the verdict of a jury and imposed a sentence.

The defendant submits two assignments of error:

“The trial court erred in denying a continuance of the trial on timely motion made by defendant’s counsel when it was developed on plaintiff’s case in chief that the evidence and testimony presented by the State was a surprise to the defendant, and required a witness not immediately available to the defendant, but who could be found with reasonable certainty.”
“Where counsel for the State, on cross examination of the defendant, had asked the defendant whether or not the address given by the defendant on the check in question was a house of ill repute, it was error for the trial court not to grant a mistrial.”

We will now consider the first assignment of error.

The check in question purported to bear the signature of one Robert W. Bingham who conducts a mort[143]*143gage brokerage business. After Mr. Bingham had testified that shortly before the alleged crime occurred five hundred of his checks were stolen from his office and that one of them bore the serial number that appears upon the check in question, he testified that the signature, Robert W. Bingham, which appears upon the check as maker was not his. Presently the defendant stipulated that the maker’s signature (Robert W. Bingham) which appears upon the check was not that of Mr. Bingham.

The testimony of one Robert L. Ragel, operator of a service station, shows that the defendant came to his establishment and presented the check for cashing. The defendant’s name was entered in the check as payee. According to Mr. Ragel, the defendant endorsed the check and produced satisfactory identification and thereupon he paid the defendant the amount of the check, $82.52.

Calvin P. Robertson, a detective in the Portland Police Bureau and assigned to its cheek detail, testified that after the defendant’s arrest he gave several accounts about his connection with the check, including explanations of the manner in which he acquired it, made the entries upon it and forged the maker’s signature. In one of these accounts, according to Robertson, the defendant acknowledged that he “picked’ ’ this check in its blank condition from the pocket of a friend and then “made out the check in its entirety; that is, made out the face of the check.” As a witness the defendant, in one of his accounts about the blank check, swore that he took it from the pocket of a friend.

Sometime before the indictment was returned against the defendant upon which this trial was conducted, he had been found guilty upon another charge, had been sentenced to the penitentiary and had been [144]*144granted a parole. Later, a hearing was held in Judge Redding’s department of the circuit court for the purpose of determining whether the defendant’s parole should be revoked. In the course of the hearing mention was made of the circumstances which underlie the indictment upon which the case now at bar is predicated and thereupon the defendant gave to Judge Red-ding an explanation of the manner in which he claimed he acquired the check and cashed it. According to Robertson, “he (the defendant) told Judge Redding that the check was obtained from a party” to whom he “had sold a portable Hi-Fi.” Robertson testified that after the hearing the defendant, the latter’s attorney, himself, and a deputy district attorney by the name of Desmond Connall stopped for a moment in the corridor of the courthouse and engaged in a brief conversation. Robertson testified:

“Q And what did he say, if anything, concerning that story at that time?
“A I asked him why the story; why he told that one. And he said, ‘I shouldn’t have done it.’ He admitted the lie.
“Q Now, I am not sure that I understand you.
“A Well, he admitted that he told a falsehood in the Court to Judge Redding. That is the substance of it all. I can’t repeat the exact words.
“Q He told you that he had not told Judge Red-ding the truth?
“A That’s right.”

In short, Robertson testified that the defendant, while engaged in conversation in the courthouse corridor outside Judge Redding’s courtroom, stated that he had testified falsely before Judge Redding. It will be noticed that Robertson testified that in addition to himself and the defendant there were present the de[145]*145fendant’s attorney (Haslett) and a deputy district attorney, Desmond Connall. Upon cross-examination he added that in addition to those four individuals a parole officer by the name of Loren F. Bridge was either present or near-by in the corridor. Under further cross-examination he agreed that an officer by the name of Bokovich possibly was also present.

Shortly after this testimony had been given, the state rested the presentation of its evidence and thereupon defendant’s counsel moved

“* * * for a continuance until such time as we can produce Desmond Connall as a witness on behalf of the defendant. We feel that this is a material witness. It was only discovered during the trial that he was a necessary witness on behalf of the defendant.”

To an inquiry of the trial judge, “Why do you think that he should testify?” defendant’s counsel replied:

“* * * there has been testimony that a certain conversation occurred, which would effect the substantial rights of the defendant, at which time amongst those present was Desmond Connall, Deputy District Attorney of Multnomah County who is now in the army on temporary duty. His whereabouts are unknown at this time by this defendant or his counsel.”

At that point the trial judge inquired whether there was any information as to where Mr. Connall could be located. The following is a reply made by defendant’s counsel.

“Very little, your Honor. I do know that in the past week or ten days, I believe, or some time last week he was called to active duty as a Captain in the army, and I believe was to report to England. But I am not positive.”

[146]*146The motion for a continuance was denied.

The defendant, upon direct examination by his own attorney, gave the following testimony:

“Q And isn’t it a fact that you told me approximately the same thing that you told Mr. Robertson with regard to getting this cheek out of someone’s pocket?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q And during the probation hearing in front of Judge Redding, do you recall what your testimony was there ?
“A Yes, I do.
“Q Will you tell the Court, as best you can recall, what you said at that time?
“A Well, at that particular time, I was sitting as I am sitting now in Judge Redding’s Court. And he asked me about the check, and how I come to have the cheek. And I explained to him in the very words that I explained to you. * * *”

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Related

State v. Young
463 P.2d 374 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1970)
State v. Otten
380 P.2d 812 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
377 P.2d 168, 233 Or. 141, 1962 Ore. LEXIS 492, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cole-or-1962.