State v. Millhaubt

61 P.2d 1356, 144 Kan. 574, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 132
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedNovember 7, 1936
DocketNo. 33,116
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 61 P.2d 1356 (State v. Millhaubt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Millhaubt, 61 P.2d 1356, 144 Kan. 574, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 132 (kan 1936).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Thiele, J.:

Defendant, who was a county commissioner of Sedgwick county, appeals from a conviction for violation of R. S. 19-242. Although many errors are specified, in his brief appellant combines them and presents them under six divisions which will be noticed in the order presented. A cross-appeal by the state will also be discussed.

I. It is contended that the statute under which the prosecution was had is unconstitutional. This question was raised in the trial court by a motion to quash the indictment found by the grand jury. It was presented to this court on a previous appeal and decided adversely to appellant’s contention. (State v. Rogers, 142 Kan. 841, 52 P. 2d 1185.) We adhere to what is there stated and will not treat the matter further. In our judgment, the statute under which the prosecution was had is not unconstitutional.

2. It is next argued the grand jury returning the indictment was a void grand jury and the indictment found by it was void. The basis for this contention arises out of facts concerning which there is little dispute. The grand jury was drawn by the judge of division No. 3 of the Sedgwick county district court. He first drew from the jury wheel the names of fifteen jurors whose names were duly listed and numbered consecutively 1 to 15 by the jury clerk. These names were duly certified as being drawn from the jury wheel to serve as grand jurors. He then handed the jury clerk a list of six, or perhaps seven, names of his own selection and directed her to list them, num[576]*576bering them 16, etc. Then additional names were drawn from the jury wheel and listed until a total of 25 more names were listed, and these were all certified as talesmen to fill places of any grand juror who might fail to attend or be discharged. When the grand jury was impaneled, it was made up of eight persons originally drawn as grand jurors, six persons whose names were on the list produced by the district judge, and one person whose name was among those drawn from the jury box to act as talesmen. It is not contended that any of the grand jurors in the original list appeared, were not properly discharged and should have served on the grand jury as finally impaneled, but did not do so. By plea in abatement, defendant raised the question of the legality of the grand jury finding the indictment. The state’s demurrer to this plea was sustained, the trial court finding there was no irregularity or corruption in the manner in which the grand jury was selected. In the first appeal, defendant attempted to present the contention now before us, but we held that an appeal did not lie from the order sustaining the demurrer until after trial and final judgment. (See State v. Rogers, supra.) The matter is now open for consideration.

Appellant’s contention may be divided into two divisions. The first is that the district judge in drawing the list of prospective grand jurors had no legal right to draw names of talesmen until the panel of grand jurors had been exhausted. The second is that in no event did he have the right to have listed any names of his own selection not drawn from the jury box. In support of his contention appellant relies on State v. Jenkins, 32 Kan. 477, 4 Pac. 809, and State v. Edwards, 64 Kan. 455, 67 Pac. 834, and decisions from other jurisdictions. Both of the Kansas cases pertain to the selection of a trial or petit jury.

The criminal code provides that upon proper proceedings being had the district judge shall order a grand jury to be drawn and summoned in the same manner as petit jurors for the district court (R. S. 62-902); that fifteen grand jurors shall be summoned and sworn from the persons summoned to serve as grand jurors and appearing, and in case any grand juror fails to attend or is discharged, his place shall be filled by a talesman to be selected by the judge (R. S. 62-904).

The statutes with reference to qualification and selection of jurors generally provide for the drawing of fifteen persons to act as grand jurors and twelve persons to act as petit jurors (R. S. 43-107), but [577]*577the district judge may order additional petit jurors to be drawn (R. S. 1933 Supp. 43-120). Sedgwick county has over 100,000 population, hence is governed by R. S. 43-135 to R. S. 43-150, inclusive, the provisions of which refer solely to petit jurors. Under the last-mentioned statutes, a different method of making up the jury list obtains (compare R. S. 43-101 to 43-106, inclusive, with R. S. 43-136), but that feature is not involved in our case and will not be discussed. The names of those eligible for jury duty are written on cards and placed in a jury wheel or box. The district judge may order, from the jury wheel or box, a sufficient number of cards to constitute a panel or any part thereof (R. S. 43-138). When the jury for trial cannot be made up from the combined panel, the judge may direct the sheriff to summon a sufficient number of qualified persons from the bystanders “or the court may make a list of persons having qualifications of jurors and the sheriff shall summon such jurors so ordered by said court,” provision being also made that in case either party request, the court shall draw or cause to be drawn from the jury wheel or box, a sufficient list to complete the panel (R. S. 43-139). It thus appears that unless a party demands a further drawing from the jury wheel, the court may select additional talesmen from whom the full jury may be obtained. It likewise seems evident that such a provision can be of no effect where a grand jury is being impaneled for the reason there is no party appearing. The provisions of R. S. 62-907 for» objections to competency do not apply here. From the above it appears there is no specific provision for an original summoning of more than fifteen grand jurors. Following appellant’s argument, were only that number summoned, upon impaneling a grand jury, if any failed to appear, then a recess would have to occur while a further drawing and summoning could take place, or, under the statutes with reference to petit jurors — and the same provision is found in the general statute (R. S. 43-123) and the statutes with reference to counties of over 90,000 population (R. S. 43-139) — the court could make its list. In both cases the method of filling the panel is stated in the alternative. In State v. Junkins, supra, relied on by appellant, the entire list from which the jury was drawn was selected in such manner as to constitute a substantial departure from the statutory mode, the challenge was to the entire array, and this court held it should have been sustained. In State v. Edwards, supra, also relied on by appellant, after the regular panel was exhausted, defendant de[578]*578manded the drawing of additional names from the jury box, as the statute provided. We need not notice the reasons why his request was not allowed. In both of the above cases there was a failure to observe specific rights of the defendant. In the case before us no such situation obtained. At most, the providing for talesmen before the duly selected panel was exhausted constituted an irregularity. It is not claimed there was actual corruption, only that the situation constituted legal corruption.

Under R. S. 62-904, when any juror of the grand jury panel fails to appear or is discharged, his place shall be filled by a talesman to be selected by the judge. To all intents and purposes that was done in the instant case. Assuming there was any irregularity, it did not amount to corruption.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 P.2d 1356, 144 Kan. 574, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-millhaubt-kan-1936.