State v. Sims

206 P. 1045, 35 Idaho 505, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 56
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 1, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 206 P. 1045 (State v. Sims) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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. Sims, 206 P. 1045, 35 Idaho 505, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 56 (Idaho 1922).

Opinion

MCCARTHY, J.

Defendant was convicted of adultery, and appeals to this court. His specification of errors is as follows: “The court erred (1) in giving instruction No. 20; (2) in refusing to admit testimony tending to show that this prosecution was malicious (ff. 1107 to 1112, inclusive), and in refusing to admit testimony which would explain the actions of the defendant wherein he attempted to have Ruth Emile Jester leave Twin Falls, Idaho; (3) the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict of the jury and the judgment rendered thereon.

We will consider the errors specified in the order which we consider logical for the purposes of this opinion.

We will consider the second specification first. In support of it, appellant refers to transcript folios 1107 to 1112, inclusive. It there appears that appellant’s counsel offered to prove by appellant himself that he had been told by members of the Jester family that the prosecutrix, Ruth Jester, was under the complete domination of her father, had been dominated by him, and had been physically beaten by him. Undoubtedly appellant was entitled to show by competent evidence, as bearing upon the credibility of the prosecutrix as a witness, that she was dominated by her father. He offered to prove this, however, by incompetent testimony, to [508]*508wit, hearsay. The court did not err in refusing to permit the introduction of such evidence.

We turn next to the third specification of error, that the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict of the jury and the judgment rendered thereon.

C. S., sec. 9068, provides: “Upon an appeal from a final judgment of conviction, if a reporter’s transcript of the evidence appears in the record, the ground that the verdict is contrary to the evidence may be considered and determined to the same extent as on an appeal from an order denying a new trial, providing, a specification of the particulars in which the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict is made in appellant’s brief filed with the supreme court.”

This is an appeal from the judgment. The particulars in which the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict are not stated. The specification is therefore not sufficient to raise the point of insufficiency of the evidence. (State v. Maguire, 31 Ida. 24, 169 Pac. 175; State v. Snook, 34 Ida. 403, 201 Pac. 494; State v. Jones, 28 Ida. 428, 154 Pac. 378.)

If, however, we waive this technical point and consider the evidence itself, we conclude that it is sufficient to support the verdict and judgment. The point attempted to be made by counsel in his brief is that there was not sufficient evidence to corroborate the testimony of the prosecutrix, who was admittedly an accomplice. C. S., sec. 8957, provides: “See. 8957. A conviction cannot be had on testimony of an accomplice, unless he is corroborated by other evidence, which in itself, and without the aid of the testimony of the accomplice, tends to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense; and the corroboration is not sufficient, if it merely shows the commission of the offense, or the circumstances thereof.”

This court has said: “Evidence of a material fact, which, independent of the testimony of an accomplice, tends to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense charged is sufficient to satisfy the requirements of C. S., sec. 8957.” (State v. Whisler, 32 Ida. 520, 185 Pac. 845. See, also, State v. Smith, 30 Ida. 337, 164 Pac. 519; State v. [509]*509Knudtson, 11 Ida. 524, 83 Pac. 226.) Statements and actions of the defendant after his arrest, testified to by witnesses, constitute sufficient corroboration to satisfy the requirements of the statute.

We come now to the first specification of error, which raises the most serious question in the case. The court’s instruction No. 20 is as follows: “You may take into consideration any evidence tending'to show an opportunity .upon the part of the defendant, Harold M. Sims, and Ruth E'mile Jester, to commit the crime charged in the information. Evidence of an adulterous disposition or inclination, together with evidence of an opportunity to commit the crime, would be sufficient to justify you in bringing in a verdict of guilty against the defendant, if this evidence satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime charged in the information was committed.”

Appellant contends that this instruction is erroneous as a statement of law, and the giving of it is reversible error. The supreme court of Oregon has said: “When proof of an adulterous disposition on the part of each participant of an act of adultery has been produced, the commission of the crime may be inferred from evidence of an opportunity to commit the act.” (State v. Eggleston, 45 Or. 346, 77 Pac. 738.)

The supreme court of Iowa has said: “Mere disposition and opportunity to commit adultery are not alone sufficient to justify a conviction, but there must be circumstances inconsistent with any other reasonable hypothesis.” (State v. Trachsel, 150 Iowa, 135, 129 N. W. 736.)

The same court has said: “It is urged that mere opportunity to commit adultery, together with an adulterous disposition, is not sufficient proof to sustain such an accusation (citing State v. Trachsel, 150 Iowa, 135, 129 N. W. 736). Such is the law. It is wisely intended to protect one from the erroneous conclusions which sometimes are drawn from innocent acts. On the other hand, it is to be considered that were proof required of actual cohabitation, as distinguished from conditions and circumstances which [510]*510would reasonably permit no other conclusion, the statute against such an offense would be of little practical value, excepting for its possible deterrent effect. Where, as in the present case, there were combined the adulterous disposition, together with the evidence, not only of opportunity, but also of position, the ease is clearly within the rule so often stated by this court.” (State v. Taylor, 160 Iowa, 328, 141 N. W. 946.)

The supreme court of Wisconsin has said: “It is enough, to sustain conviction of adultery, that the adulterous disposition be shown to exist between the parties, and that they were together in equivocal circumstances, such as would lead the guarded discretion of a reasonable and just man to the conclusion of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” (Monteith v. State, 114 Wis. 165, 89 N. W. 828. See, also, Cummings v. State, 14 Ga. App. 441, 81 S. E. 366.)

We disapprove of the rule laid down by the Oregon court in State v. Eggleston, supra, and approve the rule as laid down by the Iowa, Wisconsin and Georgia cases above cited. The form of instruction No. 20 is subject to criticism. It would have been better if the court had stated that the evidence of opportunity and adulterous disposition or inclination is sufficient to justify a conviction only if the circumstances prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime was committed as charged, and are inconsistent with any other reasonable hypothesis than that of the defendant’s guilt. However, it will be noticed that the court said in substance that the evidence of opportunity and adulterous disposition or inclination would be sufficient to justify a verdict of guilty only if the evidence satisfied the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime of adultery was committed. Fairly interpreted, this is equivalent to saying that any reasonable hypothesis other than guilt must be excluded.

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Bluebook (online)
206 P. 1045, 35 Idaho 505, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-sims-idaho-1922.