State v. Pinch

197 N.E.2d 235, 93 Ohio Law. Abs. 136
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 21, 1962
DocketNo. 572
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 197 N.E.2d 235 (State v. Pinch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Pinch, 197 N.E.2d 235, 93 Ohio Law. Abs. 136 (Ohio Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

Wm. B. Brown, J.

This is an appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Common Pleas Court of Ashtabula County, entered following a verdict of guilty with mercy recommended.

Appellant was indicted on April 16, 1962, tried on May 14 to 17,1962, and found guilty by the jury on May 17, 1962, under an indictment which charged ‘ ‘ The defendant, Robert E. Pinch, did, on or about December 6, 1961, maliciously and forcibly break and enter the inhabited dwelling of Andrew J. Sirilo in the night season with intent to commit larceny therein.” Following the plea of not guilty, trial was had. This indictment was originally brought jointly against appellant and one Curtis Estep, but the latter was granted a motion for separate trial on May 14,1962, for good cause shown.

From the evidence it appeared that on the evening of December 5, 1961, Curtis Estep and Joann Sturgill went to the home of one David Johnson where they borrowed his 1951 Chrysler automobile. Thereafter, Estep and Joann Sturgill met appellant in Ashtabula, Ohio, at the Melody Bar. Thereafter they went to several other bars where appellant and Estep did some drinking. At about 3:30 A. M. on December 6, 1961, these two went to the Grand River Manor Bar located on Mechanicsville Road in Ashtabula County. The bar was closed but the operator stated the appellant asked directions to Windsor and mentioned the name of Dr. Sirilo. Thereafter appellant and a man with a scar on his eye went to the home of John Winnen on the same road and appellant asked directions to Windsor and if Mr. Winnen knew Dr. Sirilo, and if he could purchase some gas. A Deputy Sheriff later described Estep as having a scar over his left eye.

[139]*139There was testimony that appellant, Estep and Joann Sturgill proceeded in the car to the residence of Dr. Sirilo at Windsor, in Ashtabula County. They parked the car in the driveway adjacent to Dr. Sirilo’s residence. Appellant and Estep then broke a lock on a gas tank adjacent to Sirilo’s garage and took some gas. Appellant and Estep then went to the bathroom window of Sirilo’s home, raised it and entered the home. They then returned and entered a second time. This time they took a kit containing medicants from the bathroom.

At about 4:15 A. M. Dr. Sirilo was awakened by noises. Later “close to five o’clock,” Dr. Sirilo was awakened by voices, one of which he identified as appellant’s. Other testimony disclosed he knew appellant at a time when they were in the Ashtabula County Jail together. Dr. Sirilo, on his second awakening, turned on lights. The appellant and Estep left the home, returned to the car and drove from the driveway.

Appellant did not testify; Estep’s testimony was limited because of his reliance on his privilege against self incrimination, and other than the sketchy remembrances of Dr. Sirilo, most all pertinent testimony was that of Joann Sturgill.

Five assignments of error are asserted by appellant. They are:—

1. The trial court erred in sustaining claims of privilege made by counsel for a witness and thereby excluding competent evidence on behalf of defendant.

2. The trial court erred in overruling the motion of defendant for a directed verdict made at the close of the State’s and at the close of all the evidence.

3. Misconduct on the part of the prosecuting attorney in final argument, in uttering remarks over the objection of defendant which were prejudicial to the defendant, and prevented him from having a fair trial.

4. The trial court erred in overruling defendant’s motion for new trial.

5. The verdict of the jury and the judgment of the court are contrary to law and against the manifest weight of the evidence.

The first assignment of error is that the trial court erred in sustaining claims of privilege by counsel for a witness and [140]*140thereby excluded competent evidence on behalf of the defendant.

Appellant called as his witness Carl Estep. Estep had been jointly indicted with appellant for the offense under trial, but had been granted a separate trial and was awaiting the same.

The court appointed attorney for Estep was in the courtroom and asserted Estep’s privilege against self incrimination and immunity to testify concerning matters which might tend to incriminate him.

The witness was sworn, and the court permitted Estep to answer some of the questions and sustained Estep’s attorney’s objections to others. The court instructed the witness as to his rights under the privilege against self incrimination, noting the fact of the youth of the witness. He permited Estep time to confer with counsel and the latter eventually said he wished to assert his privilege against self incrimination.

The trial court said:—

“I think it is a basic constitutional right of a person who is under indictment and who is called upon to make utterances and give testimony which may tend to incriminate him. I do not think the law intended to permit the individual to be exposed to such interrogation without advice of counsel as a man certainly cannot be expected to know the full consequences of his answer without advice of counsel. Therefore, I deem it appropriate that his counsel, during the interrogation, be permitted to remain in the courtroom and if there is desire to assert the privilege, that can be asserted and the court will pass on the matter as each question is asked as to whether the question is incriminating or not.”

Attorney for Estep thereafter objected to a number of questions put to Estep and the trial court sustained these objections.

Appellant asserts that the intervention of the attorney for Estep in these proceedings deprived this appellant of a fair trial, and moreover that the sustaining of the claim of privilege made by the attorney for the witness was erroneous and excluded competent evidence on behalf of appellant, which was prejudicial to him and prevented him from having a fair trial.

Appellant fails to demonstrate how this unusual procedure caused prejudicial error to him. There was no proffer of what [141]*141answers appellant expected to receive. Any testimony this witness conld give concerning the alleged crime could also have been introduced through appellant’s own testimony. He asserted his privilege against self incrimination, did not take the stand, and now complains because his co-defendant asserted his constitutional rights.

It is agreed that the privilege is a personal one to be asserted by the witness. It certainly was not a privilege of the appellant.

“So, too, the refusal of a witness for an accused to answer a self-incriminatory question is not a circumstance which may be considered as tending to prove the defendant’s guilt.” 58 American Jurisprudence, 55.

The procedure followed in the trial court was unusual because of the intervention of the attorney for the witness. We see nothing shocking about Ms approaching the bench and calling the situation to the court’s attention. This has been done in other cases. See State v. Shockley, 80 Pacific, 865; Brody v. U. S., 243 F. (2d), 378; State v. Gambino, 61 So. (2d), 732; Anderson v. State, 126 Pacific, 840. In the latter case beginning on page 849 there is an excellent discussion of the privilege and the trial court’s discretion concerning the same.

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Related

State v. Lawson
359 So. 2d 964 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1978)
State v. Bell
298 A.2d 753 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1972)
In Re Collins
253 N.E.2d 824 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1969)
State v. Black
253 N.E.2d 307 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
197 N.E.2d 235, 93 Ohio Law. Abs. 136, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pinch-ohioctapp-1962.