State v. Gugel

260 N.W. 581, 65 N.D. 587, 1935 N.D. LEXIS 144
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 3, 1935
DocketCr. File No. 122.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 260 N.W. 581 (State v. Gugel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North 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. Gugel, 260 N.W. 581, 65 N.D. 587, 1935 N.D. LEXIS 144 (N.D. 1935).

Opinion

*590 Morris, J.

The defendant appeals from a judgment and sentence following his conviction by a jury of the crime of grand larceny. He resides on a rented farm of 800 acres about six miles west of Blanchard, Traill county, North Dakota. Most of the testimony against the defendant was given by three witnesses, George Bird, Nick Raissure and Clarence Bailey. Bird and Raissure were working for the defendant at the time of the larceny herein involved. Bailey was an acquaintance of the defendant who had lived in the vicinity five or six years. At the time of the trial, Bird, Raissure and Bailey had pled guilty to the commission of the larceny herein involved, and were then serving sentences.

The testimony of the accomplices is substantially as follows. On the evening of August 30th, 1933, the defendant drove to the city of Hillsboro about eighteen miles distant from his farm. Bird and Raissure were at the farm when the defendant left. After reaching Hillsboro he transacted some business about town and later in the evening met Bird, Raissure and Bailey on the street. They went to the defendant’s automobile and sat in it drinking alcohol. The facts thus far are undisputed. The three accomplices state that they saw a Tri-City Transportation Truck pass on the main highway. The four men then agreed *591 that Bailey and Kaissnre were to jump on the truck and throw off goods while Gugel and Bird were to follow and pick up Bailey and Raissure when they got off. Bailey and Baissure then climbed on the truck when it halted at a stop-street. They entered the truck and threw off various items of property as the truck approached the town of Reynolds. After the truck passed through Reynolds they got off and walked back along the highway where they hid part of the plunder in some brush along the road, and part of it in a culvert, then they went into the town of Reynolds in the morning and took a train back to Hillsboro where they met Bird. From Hillsboro they went out to the Gugel farm in Bailey’s model T Ford car, where they informed Gugel as to what had been done. Bailey went home. That evening (August 31st) Bird, Raissure and the defendant left the farm in the defendant’s truck, between seven and eight o’clock. They went first to Blanchard where they stopped at a restaurant. From there they went on to Hillsboro where they stopped at two garages and a cafe. They drank considerable alcohol and beer during the evening. From Hillsboro, Bird, Raissure and the defendant drove north on State Highway 81 to Cummings where they bought some gasoline, then went on towards Reynolds where part of the plunder had been concealed in the brush. They loaded up tires, tobacco, and automobile accessories, then they turned around and drove back where the other goods had been hid in the culvert. There they stopped the truck and got out. The cache had been discovered and two officers lay there in wait. The officers captured Raissure. Gugel and Bird made their escape into a corn field. The officers took Raissure and the truck into Reynolds where Raissure was turned over to the sheriff of Traill county. The sheriff also took possession of the truck and the stolen property.

Bird and Gugel walked into Buxton where they stole a model T Ford car and drove to Bird’s home. Bailey was at the Bird farm. They got another car at the Bird farm. Bird then drove the stolen car about fifteen miles north and left it in a grove. Bailey and Gugel drove the other car and brought Bird back. All three then drove to Hillsboro where they had agreed they would report Gugel’s truck to have been stolen. When they reached Hillsboro they met the sheriff and state’s attorney to whom Gugel stated that his truck had been stolen.

The defendant admits drinking with Raissure, Bird and Bailey in *592 his car on the street in Hillsboro during the evening of August 30th. He denies planning or participating in the larceny or the attempt to recover the loot.

Before the case was called for trial, the defendant presented a motion for change of place of trial supported by 39 affidavits. The motion was resisted by the state’s attorney. Such a motion is addressed to the discretion of the trial court and his order will be disturbed only in event that there was an abuse of such discretion. State v. Gordon, 32 N. D. 31, 155 N. W. 59, Ann. Cas. 1918A, 442.

The judge who heard the motion was one of the regular district judges of the first judicial district in which Traill county is located. The affidavits presented by the defendant are general in their nature. They do not recite a single instance of an unfriendly utterance against the defendant. In substance, they state the conclusion that the defendant cannot have a fair and impartial trial in Traill county. Statements of conclusions are not enough. Furthermore, the record made at the trial does not show that any jurors were challenged for actual bias. We are of the opinion that there was no abuse of discretion in denying the motion for change of place of trial.

The defendant argues that the court erred in permitting the state’s attorney to endorse the names of a number of witnesses upon the information when the case was called for trial. The state’s attorney who filed the original information was killed and his successor participated in the trial. It is the duty of the state’s attorney to endorse upon the information the names of all witnesses for the prosecution known to him to be such at the time of filing the same. Because of his death, his statement cannot be obtained. He was a public officer. It will be presumed in the absence of proof to the contrary that he performed his duty and endorsed upon the information at the time of filing it, the names of all witnesses then known to him. State v. Matejousky, 22 S. D. 30, 115 N. W. 96. It is not error under the circumstances to permit the succeeding state’s attorney to endorse upon the information the names of other witnesses.

The defendant complains of a statement made by the state’s attorney to the effect that the defendant had been arrested on another charge and that he would be brought in on that charge. At the time the statement complained of was made, the selection of the jurors had not begun. *593 The record does not show that tbe statement was made in tbe presence of any of tbe jurors. There was no error on tbe part of tbe trial court in denying tbe defendant’s challenge to tbe jury panel.

Tbe defendant complains of a statement made by tbe state’s attorney during argument to tbe jury. No record was made at tbe time of tbe trial of tbe statement complained of. No objection was then made to tbe statement. Appellant’s objection was first presented upon tbe motion for new trial. In support thereof be attempted to show tbe statement of tbe state’s attorney by affidavits. If tbe defendant deems a statement of tbe state’s attorney in bis argument to tbe jury objectionable, be must make bis objection thereto at tbe time of tbe argument. Such objection come too late if presented tbe first time upon motion for new trial. State v. Knudson, 21 N. D. 562, 132 N. W. 149; State v. Geary, 184 Minn. 387, 239 N. W. 158; Benton v. State, 124 Neb. 485, 247 N. W. 21.

Tbe defendant next raises a serious question as to tbe legality of tbe. information upon which be was tried.

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State v. Lueder
242 N.W.2d 142 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1976)
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46 N.W.2d 508 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1950)
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270 N.W. 93 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1936)

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Bluebook (online)
260 N.W. 581, 65 N.D. 587, 1935 N.D. LEXIS 144, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gugel-nd-1935.