State v. King

68 P. 418, 24 Utah 482, 1902 Utah LEXIS 28
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 28, 1902
DocketNo. 1302
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 68 P. 418 (State v. King) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah 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. King, 68 P. 418, 24 Utah 482, 1902 Utah LEXIS 28 (Utah 1902).

Opinion

MINEE, O. J.'

The information in this case charges, in the usual form, that, on the eleventh day of September, 1900, in Salt Lake county, the defendants willfully, unlawfully, fe-loniously, deliberately, premeditatedly, and of their malice aforethought, did kill and murder Godfrey Prowse. The testimony shows that the defendants, and a third man unknown, entered the gambling house of the deceased in the nighttime, with their faces masked, and with revolvers in their hands, and there shot and killed the deceased. Their evident purpose was robbery. Defendant Lynch was shot and wounded by Prowse. About thirteen shots in all were fired by all parties, most of them by the three masked men. All three masked men directed their shots at Prowse. Doth defendants were identified, and revolvers were found in the alley near where the shooting was done.

Paul Johnson, an eyewitness to the shooting, was called, sworn, and examined by the prosecution, and was cross-examined by the defendants on the preliminary hearing before the magistrate. He was not present at the trial, and the prosecution, 1 under objection, was permitted to read his testimony taken on such preliminary examination to the jury. This is alleged as error. Section 4513, Revised Statutes 1898, so far as material, reads as follows: “In criminal prosecutions the defendant shall be entitled: 4. To be confronted by the witnesses against him, except that where the charge has been preliminarily examined before a committing magistrate [485]*485and tbe testimony taken down by question and answer, in tbe presence of tbe defendant, wbo bas, either in person or by counsel, cross-examined, or bas bad an opportunity to cross-examine, tbe witness, or where tbe testimony of a witness on tbe part of tbe State, wbo is unable to give security for bis appearance, bas been taken conditionally in like manner in tbe presence of tbe defendant, wbo bas, either in person or by counsel, cross-examined, or bas bad an opportunity to cross-examine, tbe witness, tbe deposition of such witness may be read, upon it being satisfactorily shown to tbe court that be is dead or insane, or can not, with due diligence, be found within tbe State.” Tbe appellants contend that this statute is unconstitutional, within tbe meaning of section 12, article 1, of tbe Constitution, which 'provides that tbe accused shall have tbe right “to be confronted by witnesses against him,” and that no sufficient foundation was laid for tbe introduction of tbe testimony of 'the witness Johnson. It appears from tbe record that witness Johnson was sworn and examined upon tbe preliminary bearing before tbe magistrate, and that tbe accused and bis counsel bad an opportunity, and did cross-examine him. Mr. Barrett, a person with whom Johnson was rooming at tbe time, and wbo was intimately acquainted with him, testified that he did not think Johnson was in tbe city; that be last saw him three weeks prior to tbe time of tbe trial, at which time be was rooming with tbe witness; that when he left be said be was going to Oregon that day; that be left the city about three weeks prior, and witness had not seen him since. A police officer testified that be knew Johnson, and served a subpoena on him on tbe twelfth day of October, to appear at the trial set for October 22d. This subpoena was duly returned. Johnson said to tbe policeman, when subpoenaed, that be was going away, but would return. Tbe witness stated that be bad not seen him since. Mr. Sheets, a police officer, testified that be saw Johnson on tbe twelfth of October, but bad not seen him since; that at that time Johnson said be was going away to [486]*486the State of Oregon, and said he would write a letter bach so his address would be known; that no letter had been received from him. Witness further stated that Johnson was not in the city. Johnson’s name was called in court, but he did not answer. When the case was continued from the twenty-second to the twenty-ninth day of October, an order was made by the court requiring all witnesses to be present in court on the twenty-ninth.. Johnson was not present in court at this time. A subpoena was duly issued for him, and thereafter on the same day was duly returned, showing that, after due diligence, search, and inquiry by different police officers, the witness could not be found, and his whereabouts were unknown. Every effort possible was made to find the witness, without avail. As a general rule, under Constitutions like that of Utah, the accused is entitled to be confronted with the witnesses against him. As held in State v. Mannion, 19 Utah 505, 512, 57 Pac. 542, 544, 45 L. R. A. 638, 75 Am. St. Rep. 753: “Under the Constitution and statutes of the State the accused had a right to be present at the trial, to be confronted by the witnesses against him, and to meet his accusers face to. face. He also had the right to appear and defend against the accusation preferred against him in person and by counsel. He had the right not only to examine the witnesses, but to see into the face of each witness while testifying against him, and to hear the testimony given upon the stand. He had the right to see and be seen, hear and be heard, under such reasonable regulations as the law established. By our Constitution it is clearly made manifest that no man shall be tried and condemned in secret, and unheard.” The chief purpose in requiring that the accused shall be confronted with the witnesses against him is held to be to secure to the defendant an opportunity for cross-examination; so, that if the opportunity for cross-examination has been secured, the test of confrontation is accomplished. If the confrontation can be had it should be had. By taking the testimony of the witness Johnson in the presence of the [487]*487accused upon tbe examination at a time wben be bad tbe privilege of cross-examination, this constitutional privilege is satisfied, provided tbe witness can not, with due diligence, be found within tbe State. The constitutional requirement of confrontation is not violated by dispensing with tbe actual presence of tbe witness at tbe trial after be has already been subjected to cross-examination by the accused, and tbe other requirements of tbe statutes have been complied with. In 1 Greenl. Ev. (10 Ed.), sec. 163g, p. 284, it is said: “The death of tbe witness has always, and as of course, been considered as sufficient to allow tbe use of his former testimony. Tbe absence of tbe witness from tbe jurisdiction, out of reach of tbe court’s process, ought also to be sufficient, and is so treated by tbe great majority of courts. Mere absence, however, may not be sufficient, and it is usually said that a residence or an absence for a prolonged or uncertain time is necessary. A few courts do^ not recognize at all this cause for non-production; a few others deny it for criminal cases. Neither position is sound. Inability to find tbe witness is an equally sufficient reason for non-prcduction, by tbe better opinion, though there are contrary precedents. The sufficiency of the search is usually and properly loft to the trial court’s discretion. Absence through the opponent’s procurement should, of course, be a sufficient reason for non-production. Illness, by causing inability to attend, has the same effect. The phrase usually employed as a test is, ‘so ill as to be unable to travel.’ The application of the principle should be left to the trial court’s discretion.” Numerous citations of authority will be found in tbe notes to this section. In Finn v. Com., 5 Rand. 701, Mendum v. Com., 6 Rand. 704, and Brogy v. Com., 10 Grat.

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Bluebook (online)
68 P. 418, 24 Utah 482, 1902 Utah LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-king-utah-1902.