State v. Roblin

295 P. 745, 160 Wash. 529
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 2, 1931
DocketNo. 22893. Department Two.
StatusPublished

This text of 295 P. 745 (State v. Roblin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington 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. Roblin, 295 P. 745, 160 Wash. 529 (Wash. 1931).

Opinion

Beals, J.

Frank Boblin and another were charged with the crime of transporting intoxicating liquor with intent to sell the same. The jury returned a verdict of guilty as to defendant Boblin, and acquitted the other defendant. From the judgment and sentence entered against him upon the verdict of the jury, Mr. Boblin appeals.

At the time of the arrest, appellant was driving a Ford car out of a public garage in the city of Aberdeen, the car being stopped and appellant arrested as the machine was about half way through the garage *531 door. It is not disputed that, a few moments before the arrest, appellant had driven the Ford into the garage. Witnesses for the state testified that, at the time of the arrest, a gallon jug of moonshine was found in the Ford, it being appellant’s theory that this jug was planted in the car by one of the arresting party. ■

Appellant assigns error upon the refusal of the trial court to give two instructions which were requested by appellant, upon the giving of three instructions, upon the-overruling of appellant’s demurrer to the information, and upon the denial of his motion for a new trial.

The first instruction requested by appellant contains the following:

“You are instructed that under the laws of this state it is not a crime to transport intoxicating liquor for your own use under the statute under which these defendants are charged.”

No error was committed by the trial court in refusing to give the instruction containing the foregoing sentence. Appellant and his co-defendant testified that the liquor was not theirs, and was placed in the car by one of the arresting party, who stopped the machine as it started to leave the garage. No issue was presented which would raise the question of whether or not it is lawful for a man to transport his own liquor for his own use. The portion of the requested instruction quoted is incorrect in any event, as it cannot be that a person may in this state lawfully transport that which he cannot lawfully own or possess. State v. Giaudrone, 109 Wash. 397, 186 Pac. 870.

Appellant’s second requested instruction was to the effect that, if the jury believed from the evidence that the reputation for truth and veracity of any witness was bad, the jury had a right to disregard the *532 whole of such witness’ testimony, except in so far as the same was corroborated by other credible evidence, or by facts and circumstances proved on the trial. Appellant contends that this instruction should have been given, because several of his witnesses testified that the reputation for truth and veracity of one of the state’s witnesses was bad. The court instructed the jury that they were the exclusive judges of the facts, and of the credibility of each and every witness who testified.

The requested instruction did not state the general rule that, if the jury believes that a witness has testified falsely as to some material issue, they may disregard the entire testimony of such witness, unless the same is corroborated, but refers particularly to the testimony introduced by appellant, to the effect that the reputation for truth and veracity of one of the state’s witnesses was bad, and informed the jury that, if they believed that the reputation of this witness for truth and veracity was bad, they could disregard the entire testimony of such witness, except in so far as the same was corroborated. The requested instruction, apparently, singled out one particular portion of the testimony of one of the state’s witnesses, and the testimony on the part of two of appellant’s witnesses, to the effect that the reputation for truth and veracity of this witness was bad. Such reputation testimony may be considered by the jury, in connection with all the other evidence in the case, but appellant cites no authority to the effect that such testimony entitles a party to such an instruction as he requested.

The witness whose reputation for truth and veracity was attacked by appellant, was the man who jumped on the running board of the Ford and stopped the same, appellant contending that the witness, at this time, placed the jug of moonshine in the car. This *533 was the pivotal point in appellant’s defense, other witnesses for the prosecution testifying that this witness did not have with him a jug of moonshine, and did not place any such jug in the car driven by appellant. Appellant had the benefit of the testimony introduced on his behalf, to the effect that the reputation of this witness for truth and veracity was bad. The jury were told that they were the sole judges of the facts and the credibility of each witness.

The court did not err in refusing instruction No. 2, requested by appellant. Possibly, a different question would be presented had appellant requested a general instruction to the effect that, if the jury believed that any witness had testified falsely as to a material matter, they were at liberty to disregard the entire testimony of such witness, save in so far as the same was corroborated by other credible evidence in the case.

By instruction No. 6, the court informed the jury as to the elements of the offense charged, including an instruction to the effect that, before they could find appellant guilty, they must find that the intoxicating liquor which he was transporting was being so transported for the purpose and intent of sale. Appellant contends that this portion of the instruction was erroneous, as not following the statute, which provides that the transportation must be “with intent to sell.” Appellant contends that the jury should have been instructed that, before appellant could be found guilty as charged, the jury must find him guilty of the transportation of liquor “with intent to sell, barter or exchange the same.” The statute under which appellant was convicted reads, in part, as follows:

“Every person convicted ... of the keeping or transporting of any such liquor with intent to sell, barter or exchange the same shall be punished by fine . . . ” Laws of 1921, chap. 122, p. 398; Rem. Comp. Stat., § 7338.

*534 In support of his contention that this instruction was erroneous, appellant cites the opinion of this court in the case of State v. Knight, 155 Wash. 260, 284 Pac. 85. In that case, the question of the presumption which, under the law, follows from the proved possession of intoxicating liquor, was in question.

If the instruction which we are now considering was, in any particular, erroneous, it erred in favor of the accused, as it possibly held the state to a higher degree of proof than, under the law, was necessary. We cannot see how appellant was prejudiced by an instruction to the effect that, before the jury could find him guilty as charged, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant was transporting intoxicating liquor for the purpose and intent of sale, rather than an instruction to the effect that, before appellant could be found guilty, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was transporting liquor for the purpose of sale, barter or exchange.

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Related

State v. Knight
284 P. 85 (Washington Supreme Court, 1930)
National Ass'n of Creditors, Inc. v. Brown
264 P. 1005 (Washington Supreme Court, 1928)
State v. Rouw
286 P. 81 (Washington Supreme Court, 1930)
Behrens v. Commercial Waterway District No. 1
181 P. 892 (Washington Supreme Court, 1919)
State v. Giaudrone
186 P. 870 (Washington Supreme Court, 1920)
State v. Matson
221 P. 311 (Washington Supreme Court, 1923)
Northern Cedar Co. v. French
131 Wash. 394 (Washington Supreme Court, 1924)
State ex rel. Arnold v. Mitchell
104 P. 791 (Washington Supreme Court, 1909)

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Bluebook (online)
295 P. 745, 160 Wash. 529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-roblin-wash-1931.