State v. Kappen

191 Iowa 19
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedDecember 16, 1920
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 191 Iowa 19 (State v. Kappen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Kappen, 191 Iowa 19 (iowa 1920).

Opinions

Evans, J.

Upon a search of defendant’s residence, made by officers oh the night of March 21, 1918, certain burglar’s tools were discovered therein, consisting of 12 keys. He was arrested the same evening, and duly indicted.

INFORMATION: allowable amend-l. indictment and I. The original indictment described the alleged burglar tools as “12 keys.” .Later, the county attorney caused the indictment to be amended by adding to this specification the further description: “Made from spoons and other implements, the same being tools adapted, designed, and commonly used for committing’ the crime of burglary. ’ ’

Defendant complains that proper notice of this proposed amendment was not given, and that the nature of the amendment was such as was not authorized by the statute. The record discloses no lack of proper notice. The nature of the amendment was just such as comes within the contemplation of the statute which expressly provides for amendment “in the description of any person or thing * * * described in the indictment.” Section 5289, Code Supplement, 1913; State v. Kiefer, 183 Iowa 319.

[21]*21II. Defendant moved for a dismissal of tbe indictment on tbe ground that he bad been in previous jeopardy.

2 Ceiminax, law: former jeopardy: for sickness. A previous trial upon this indictment bad been begun, by tbe selection of a jury and the introduction of some evidence, w^en one of the jurors became sick and unable serve. The trial court gave tbe defendant tbe option to proceed with tbe trial to 11 jurors, but bis counsel took tbe position that be could not make such waiver of bis rights. Thereupon, tbe trial court entered of record a finding that tbe trial had been interrupted by catastrophe and accident, and discharged the jury on that ground, and ordered the impaneling of a new jury. Tbe proceeding seems to have been in strict accord with tbe statute, and defendant’s motion was properly overruled.

III. Langland testified as a witness upon tbe trial. He was not a witness before tbe grand jury. Objections to him as a witness were made upon that ground, and because no proper notice of bis testimony bad been served. Tbe grounds thus urged are not sustained by tbe record. Proper notice of the proposed evidence' of this witness was served.

IY. Some complaint is directed to tbe instructions given by tbe trial court. But it does not appear from tbe record that any exceptions were taken to any instruction within tbe time provided by statute.

3‘ SSiatfonf boí-leadmg question. V. A police officer was examined as a witness by tbe State, and bis attention directed to tbe keys described in tbe indictment. He was asked to state what they could be used for. This question was objected to as leading, and the objection was overruled. Tbe witness testified, in subS£anee, ^hat ^gy -^ere a¿apted to burglarious use in tbe opening of locks. Complaint is now made of this ruling. Tbe ground of objection to tbe question was that it was leading. It was not leading. No other objection was made.

VI. Tbe more important question in tbe case pertains to the sufficiency of tbe evidence to support tbe conviction. Tbe general grounds of objection to tbe sufficiency of tbe evidence are: (1) That tbe State did not prove that tbe burglar tools were in tbe possession of tbe defendant; (2) that it did not prove that such possession was guilty or felonious.

[22]*224. Burglary: fact of posses The emphasis of the first ground of objection is that the keys were not found upon the person of the defendant. It was undoubtedly incumbent upon the State to show, as the first element of the crime charged, that the defendant . , , „ . , . was m possession, m a legal sense, of such tools. The statute does not require that they be found upon his person. In a legal sense, a person may be in possession of personal property without having the same upon his person. It is sufficient that it be within his dominion and subject to his control. This is the nature of the possession exercised by owners over the great body of personal property.

It is undoubtedly true, also, that the State must show, as the second element of the crime, that the possession was guilty and felonious: that is to say, that it was with intent to commit the crime of burglary.

Upon the trial, the State introduced evidence tending to show defendant’s possession of the burglarious tools in question. It thereupon rested, without introducing independent evidence of the burglarious intent of the defendant. The reason for this course will hereinafter appear. We proceed, then, to consider the first question: Did the State introduce sufficient evidence to show possession in a legal sense, disregarding for the moment the question of the guilty or felonious character of the possession 1

As already stated, the search and discovery by officers was made on March 21, 1918. These tools were found in a little house which was the home of the defendant at the time of their discovery. This house had been rented from the owner’s agent by this defendant personally, and the rent therefor had been paid by him. He and his codefendant, Benton, had occupied the same for at least two months prior to the time of the search. This house is known in the record as No. 1016 Third Street, and was located near the Northwestern depot at Ames. No occupation is disclosed for either of such defendants. They were both living in this house up to and including the date of the search, though this defendatit was not present in the house when the search warrant was served, about 10 o’clock at night. At that time, Benton was in the house alone. The house thus occupied was a small frame building, about 16 feet wide and 18 or 20 feet long. It had three rooms on the first floor and two rooms [23]*23on tbe second floor and two rooms in the basement. The basement rooms were separated by a partition wall of hollow tile. The floor of the basement was of cement. The entrance into it was by an inside stairway into its east room. There was no outside stairway. This basement was in actual use by defendant as a place of storage. An inspection of the basement on the night of the search disclosed an interference with the surfaces of the cement floor and of the partition wall. A section of the cement floor had been so cut as to make it removable, and a hole was dug thereunder and the removable section restored to its place. A quantity of meat was found therein. In the partition wall was a disconnected tile. This being removed, a piece of newspaper was disclosed, protruding out of the adjoining tile. This proved to be a package comprising 12 keys wrapped in a newspaper. These are the keys which are described in the indictment. They consisted of keys and blanks in miscellaneous forms, and appear to have been made from spoons and knives.

As to the defendant’s use of this basement, the witness G-retten, ex-sheriff, testified to a conversation with the defendant on the night of his arrest, as follows:

“A. I asked him about a hole he had dug in the basement, and he said he had dug a hole to keep his meat in. Q. What else was said? A. There were two rooms in the basement, and he had a big jar of lard which I found in one room, and in the other was this hole dug in the basement. The cement part had been taken up, or a hole dug under there, and then this piece of cement laid back in there. He said he dug that hole to keep his meat in. He called it his ice box. Q.

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Bluebook (online)
191 Iowa 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kappen-iowa-1920.