State v. Hudgens

423 P.2d 90, 102 Ariz. 1, 1967 Ariz. LEXIS 182
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 1967
Docket1386
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 423 P.2d 90 (State v. Hudgens) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona 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. Hudgens, 423 P.2d 90, 102 Ariz. 1, 1967 Ariz. LEXIS 182 (Ark. 1967).

Opinion

STRUCKMEYER, Justice.

Appellant, Raymond Idus Hudgens, was charged with the first degree murder of his wife Grace and her parents, Isaac and Mary Young. He entered plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. From the judgments of conviction and sentence of death, he appeals.

The prosecution established these facts upon which the jury returned a verdit of guilty. On December 11, 1962, appellant went to the home of his wife’s parents near Kingman, Arizona. His stated purpose was to persuade his estranged wife to accompany him to Florida. When she refused, appellant became enraged and he shot her and the Youngs, using a .22 caliber and a .32 caliber pistol. After the shooting, he ransacked the house to give the appearance that a robbery had taken place and disposed of the .22 caliber pistol by throwing it into the Colorado River at the Topock Bridge near Needles, California.

The next day at Van Nuys, California, he called the police department and, without giving his name, told them of the homicides and that a year and one-half old baby (his) in Kingman had not been cared for in over twenty-four hours. Appellant became a suspect and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Thereafter, in attempting to *3 locate Hudgens, the California police went to the home of his sister and, in a search of her home, discovered a note written by the appellant to his sister in which he admitted the shootings. After he was arrested, he was taken to the city hall in Van Nuys where a written statement was made in which he admitted the homicides and described, in detail, how the acts were committed. As he was returned to Arizona, he volunteered information which enabled the police officers to locate the .22 caliber pistol which he had thrown over the bridge at Topock.

After perfecting this appeal and filing the opening brief, appellant’s counsel, Eino M. Jacobson, withdrew as counsel based upon a possible conflict of interest by reason of his election to the office of County Attorney of Yavapai County and Sol L. Hamburger was substituted as appellant’s attorney. Three additional briefs were filed by him.

Former counsel strenuously argues that the prosecuting attorney, in presenting his summation, committed error in that he stated to the jury that a parole board was human and fallible, and if it imposed a sentence of life imprisonment defendant could be released prior to the time he could reasonably be expected to be safely returned to society and, therefore, he would be in a position to murder again. Appellant points to twenty-one jurisdictions in this country which have decided that arguments dealing with the possibility of parole are grounds for reversal. E. g., People v. Morse, 60 Cal.2d 631, 36 Cal.Rptr. 201, 388 P.2d 33.

We have, on the contrary, repeatedly stated that such or similar arguments were proper. State v. Coey, 82 Ariz. 133, 309 P.2d 260; State v. Jordan, 80 Ariz. 193, 294 P.2d 677; State v. Macias, 60 Ariz. 93, 131 P.2d 810; Sullivan v. State, 47 Ariz. 224, 55 P.2d 312. See also State v. Randolph, 99 Ariz. 253, 408 P.2d 397; State v. Robison, 99 Ariz. 241, 408 P.2d 29. While we might be disposed to re-examine this question in the light of the recent decisions cited, we would not reverse the conviction for this reason alone; and since we do not find other grounds for reversing the judgment, it is unnecessary to further consider the question raised.

As stated, the California police, while searching for appellant, went to the home of his sister and there discovered a note appellant left for her in which he confessed to the crimes. Appellant urges as error that this note was improperly admitted into evidence because it was the product of an illegal search and seizure. We express doubt that it was the product of an unlawful search or that the property of a third person obtained through an illegal search and seizure is inadmissible against an accused. See Kelley v. United States, 8 Cir., 61 F.2d 843, 86 A.L.R. 338. Irrespective, at no time during the course of the trial did the appellant make an objection that there was an unlawful search' and seizure under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Claimed error which is not supported by a proper objection will not be considered on appeal. State v. Graham, 97 Ariz. 408, 401 P.2d 141; State v. Hernandez, 96 Ariz. 28, 391 P.2d 586; State v. Cumbo, 96 Ariz. 385, 396 P.2d 11; State v. Favors, 92 Ariz. 147, 375 P.2d 260; State v. Hunt, 91 Ariz. 145, 370 P.2d 640; State v. Hudson, 87 Ariz. 162, 348 P.2d 928; State v. Lubetkin, 78 Ariz. 91, 276 P.2d 520.

In Henry v. State of Mississippi, 379 U.S. 443, 85 S.Ct. 564, 13 L.Ed.2d 408, the United States Supreme Court said:

“ * * * a litigant’s procedural defaults in state proceedings do not prevent vindication of his federal rights unless the State’s insistence on compliance with its procedural rule serves a legitimate state interest.” 379 U.S. at p. 447, 85 S.Ct. at p. 567.

In State v. Graham, supra, we said the defense has the “duty of serving the ‘legitimate state interest’ [by] giving ‘the Court the opportunity to conduct the trial without using the tainted evidence.’ * * * Judges are neither omniscient nor all-knowing at all times for all purposes. It is the duty of *4 the defense to aid the Court by raising important state and federal claims.” 97 Ariz. at 416, 401 P.2d at 147.

Trial counsel stipulated to the admission of the note into evidence. It contains some matters which might have been considered by a jury as mitigating the gravity of the offense. From this and the entire record it is apparent that the defense of this case was predicated on the theory of insanity arising out of emotional instability. Present counsel so concedes. The tactical decision to place the note before the jury constitutes a binding waiver of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. State v. Graham, supra.

The next question presented is whether appellant’s confession should have been excluded from evidence on the grounds that it was involuntary. Johnson v. State of New Jersey, 384 U.S. 719, 86 S.Ct. 1772, 16 L.Ed.2d 882, determined that Escobedo v. State of Illinois, 378 U.S. 478, 84 S.Ct. 1758, 12 L.Ed.2d 977 (June 22, 1964), and Miranda v. State of Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (June 13, 1966), were not to be applied retroactively. The case at bar was tried and decided prior to both Escobedo and Miranda. The principles announced in those cases setting forth the standards as to the admissibility of confessions are inapplicable here.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
423 P.2d 90, 102 Ariz. 1, 1967 Ariz. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hudgens-ariz-1967.