State v. Lawson

145 S.W. 92, 239 Mo. 591, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 100
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 6, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 145 S.W. 92 (State v. Lawson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Lawson, 145 S.W. 92, 239 Mo. 591, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 100 (Mo. 1912).

Opinion

BLAIR, C.

— Defendant was convicted in the circuit court of the City of St. Louis of having set up and kept a crap table and having induced, enticed and permitted divers persons to bet and play thereon.

The evidence tended to show that a crap game was conducted at 2309 Chestnut street, St. Louis, for many months prior to the time the indictment was returned. The game was played on a covered pool table in the basement of a building occupied by the Modern Horseshoe Club, of which club defendant was a member. Defendant himself testified that a crap game was there conducted in the manner described, but denied having anything further to do with it than occasionally to participate as a player. There was evidence, however, that he was practically constantly in attendance, and that he “cut off” a nickel out of every bet made, and that this “rake-off” he delivered to the president or the general “manager” of the club’s affairs, who appeared at interval's to receive it. Defendant also settled disputes as to the rules of the game, kept order, and adjusted differences of various kinds which arose among the players. An expert was called and detailed the intricacies and mysteries of “crap-shooting. ’ ’

I. The names of eight witnesses were indorsed on the indictment. During the examination of the talesmen on their voir dire, the assistant circuit at[597]*597torney, in open court and in the presence of defendant and his counsel, read the names of the eight witnesses mentioned and announced' that in addition to these there were six others, Clifford Clark, William Ransom, James Thornton, Jesse Crow, Henry Harris and one Sydnor, who were witnesses ■•in the case and inquired if the members of the panel had an acquaintance with any of the fourteen. A recess was then taken until two p. m., at which hour the jury was sworn and officer Wells, whose name appeared in the list of witnesses on the indictment, was called and sworn. This witness testified as to the name and location of the clubrooms in which the offense charged was committed, and gave a general description of the exterior of the building at 2309 Chestnut street. He also testified as an expert, describing in detail the manner in which the game of “craps” is played.

No other witness whose name was indorsed on the indictment was called, but five of the six others named during the voir dire examination of the jury were called, and, over defendant’s objections and exceptions, testified in the case.

On this state of the record it is contended that the court erred in admitting the testimony of these witnesses.-

The statute (Sec. 5097, R. S. 1909) requires that “When an indictment is found by the grand jury, the names of all the material witnesses must be indorsed upon the indictment” and provides that while “other witnesses may be subpoenaed or sworn by the State, . . . no continuance shall be granted to the State on account of the absence of any witness-whose name is not thus indorsed on the indictment, unless upon the affidavit of the prosecuting attorney showing good cause for such continuance.”

While this statute has been frequently construed by this court, in no previous case has the situation presented been like that in this. Hero the name of no [598]*598witness who testified to the facts constituting the offense charged was on the indictment.

Though the statute expressly provides that witnesses other than those whose names are indorsed may be subpoenaed and sworn and does not expressly provide, for lack of compliance with its provisions, any other penalty than the limitation upon the State’s right to a continuance, this court, since 1884 (State v. Roy, 83 Mo. l. c. 269, 270), has consistently held that the statute was passed for the purpose of giving to “the person criminally charged the opportunity of knowing who were his accusers, and by whom the State expected to establish the charge preferred, in order that he might prepare, not only to meet the charge, but'those upon whom the State relied to prove it.”

Thus interpreting the statute in harmony with its evident spirit, this court has frequently announced and applied the rule that no unfair advantage of a defendant will be permitted to be taken by intentional concealment of the names of the State’s witnesses. An ambuscade of this kind will not be tolerated. [State v. Nettles, 153 Mo. l. c. 470; State v. Shreve, 137 Mo. l. c. 5; State v. Myers, 198 Mo. 247.]

On the other hand, if the defendant is advised in advance (for instance, by an entire failure to indorse the names of any witnesses) that the State is not fighting in the open, and elects to enter the contest under such conditions, he cannot, for the first time, after being defeated, complain. [State v. Griffin, 87 Mo. l. c. 612; State v. O’Day, 89 Mo. l. c. 560.]

In this case defendant and his counsel were advised in open court, prior to the swearing of the jury, that the witnesses who were used would be used on the trial and no suggestion was made of surprise, nor was any motion to quash, request for delay, or demand for continuance made. On the contrary, not until the jury had been sworn and defendant thus put in jeopardy, and the witnesses called, did defendant suggest that he [599]*599intended to rely npon the absence of their names from the indictment for their exclusion. This is not a case in which the calling of the witness first advises defendant of the State’s intent to nse him and consequently affords the first opportunity to challenge his competency. In this case, defendant, if he desired to raise the question.at all, should have-availed himself of the rule laid down in State v. Barrington, 198 Mo. l. c. 70, and should have demanded a reasonable time to meet the testimony ‘of the witnesses mentioned when apprised, before the jury was sworn, of the State’s intention to call them.

Having been notified by the announcement of the-assistant circuit attorney before the jury were sworn, that certain witnesses whose names were not on the indictment were to be called for the State, defendant had all the notice he would have had if the names had at that moment been added to those on the indictment, so far as concerns the question now before us. The trial court doubtless would have required the indorsement of these additional names had defendant moved for that purpose. After the announcement mentioned, we think that, lacking some motion upon defendant’s behalf, the court was justified in treating the question raised after the jury was sworn exactly as if all the names had been indorsed upon the indictment and that this record shows no error because of the fact that it did so treat it.

That the State would not be-permitted to purposely deceive defendant to his prejudice by taking part of its witnesses before the grand jury and indorsing their names upon the indictment and then in the trial, and without warning; substitute an entirely new list of witnesses, goes without saying. When notified that the witnesses were to be used, defendant had the right to apply for, and in this case it would have been the duty of the court to have given him, on a proper showing, sufficient time to prepare to meet their testimony. He [600]*600saw fit, doubtless for some good reason, to waive Ms right in this respect and permit the jury to be sworn, whereby the whole aspect of the proceeding was changed. Under these circumstances this case ought not be reversed on this assignment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 S.W. 92, 239 Mo. 591, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lawson-mo-1912.