State v. Sprouse

234 N.E.2d 922, 13 Ohio App. 2d 170, 42 Ohio Op. 2d 296, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 413
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 6, 1968
Docket260
StatusPublished

This text of 234 N.E.2d 922 (State v. Sprouse) 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. Sprouse, 234 N.E.2d 922, 13 Ohio App. 2d 170, 42 Ohio Op. 2d 296, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 413 (Ohio Ct. App. 1968).

Opinions

Gray, J.

(Presiding.) This cause is in this court on appeal from a judgment of the Common Pleas Court of Jackson County finding defendant guilty of breaking and entering.

Defendant, feeling aggrieved by this action of the trial court, filed his notice of appeal and assigned the following errors:

“1. The court erred in overruling the motion of the defendant to discharge the defendant and to dismiss the jury for the reason that the state had wholly failed to prove the charge of breaking and entering at the close of the state’s case.
“2. The court erred in overruling the motion of the defendant to take from the jury the question of breaking and entering for the reason that the evidence adduced did not support the charge of breaking and entering.
“3. The court erred in refusing to discharge the defendant at the end of the state’s case and erred in overruling the motion to discharge the defendant for the reason that the state failed to establish venue.
“4. The court erred in allowing the state to open up their case and establish venue.
“5. The court erred to the prejudice of the defendant in not allowing the defendant to have the right to have items No. 1 and No. 5 examined by a laboratory technician.
*172 “6. The court erred in allowing the wife of the defendant to testify over the objection of the defendant.
‘ ‘ 7. The court erred in refusing the * * * [jury] a view of premises and also view of the safe.
“8. The court erred to the prejudice of the defendant in overruling the motion of defendant for the reason that the state at the close of all of the evidence had wholly failed to prove the charge of breaking and entering and for the further reason that the evidence adduced did not support the charge of breaking and entering.
“9. The verdict was contrary to laAV and against the weight of the evidence.
“10. The court erred in failing to set aside the verdict upon motion for a new trial and to grant appellant a new trial.
“11. The court erred in the admission, over defendant’s objections, of certain evidence of the prosecution.
“12. For other errors apparent from the record.”

The court will consider assignments Nos. 1, 2, 8, 9, and 10 together. We find no error in any of these assignments of error.

Where the evidence in a criminal case tends to sustain all the essential elements charged in the indictment, it is not error for the court to overrule defendant’s motion to withdraw the case from the jury and discharge defendant. State v. Axe, 118 Ohio St. 514; Painesville Utopia Theatre Co. v. Lautermilch, 118 Ohio St. 167; Cooper v. State, 121 Ohio St. 562.

The third and fourth assignments of error will be considered together. We find no error here. In the prosecution of a criminal case, it is not essential that the venue of the crime be proved in express terms, provided it be established by all the facts and circumstances in the case, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the crime was committed in the county and state as laid in the indictment. See State v. Dickerson, 77 Ohio St. 34, 122 Am. St. Rep. 479, 13 L. R. A. (N. S.) 341; State v. Neff, 104 Ohio App. 289; State v. Stewart, 79 Ohio App. 340; State v. Schroyer, 66 Ohio App. 30.

*173 The fifth assignment of error is not well taken. Defendant did not timely request analyses of the pieces of evidence. He had the right to and did cross-examine the expert as to procedures and techniques used. He has shown no prejudice to himself by any action taken by the prosecution or the court in his trial in this respect.

Assignments of error Nos. 6 and 11 will be considered together. The record does not disclose any violation of defendant’s rights to his prejudice.

The wife of defendant was called to testify as to defendant’s whereabouts under his claimed a'ibi. The majority of this court believes that under the provisions, of Section 2945.42 Revised Code, such testimony was competent.. In part this section states:

“* '* * The presence or whereabouts of the husband or wife is not an act under this section. The rule is the same.if the marital relation ceased to exist.”

The fourth question propounded to defendant’s wife was the following:

“Q. And directing your attention now, Mrs. Sprouse, to on or about the 27th-clay of July, 1965, will you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the Jury where you were about—
“Mrs. Bone: I object.
“Q. (continuing) five o’clock?
“Mrs. Bone: I want to note my objections for the record for the reason she is the wife of the defendant and the. law of Ohio states a wife may not testify for or against a husband in a criminal case.
.“By.the Court: Objection overruled.”

In examining the question presented,, it is apparent that the testimony attempted to be elicited was in regard to. the wife’s whereabouts on July 27, 1965, and at that time nothing-was said about defendant. True, the prosecuting attorney was.laying a foundation to demolish defendant's alibi, but he had not arrived at the point of fixing defendant’s whereabouts under his claimed alibi when the objection was made.

Defendant did not enter another objection of any kind to any of defendant’s wife’s testimony.

*174 Defendant cannot expect the trial judge to enter objections for him at the proper time and on the proper grounds, if any existed.

The trial judge is the governor of the trial proceedings. He is required to maintain strict impartiality and not to make a record in the case for either litigant.

Objectionable evidence must be called to the court’s attention before error can be predicted thereon.

Even if part of the evidence offered had been objectionable, the question was not preserved and there would be no érror here. State v. Fox, 133 Ohio St. 154, 161, 162, stands for the proposition, among others, that:

' “* * * Whenever evidence is offered which is only partly objectionable, the complaining party must point out the objectionable portion specifically. Otherwise all of it may be admitted. * * *”

The real damage to defendant’s case was done on cross-examination of the wife of the defendant. The following excerpts are good examples of what should not be done:

Cross-examination by Mrs. Bone of Katie Sprouse, wife of defendant:

“Q.

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Related

State v. Schroyer
31 N.E.2d 469 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1940)
State v. Stewart
64 N.E.2d 252 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1945)
State v. Neff
148 N.E.2d 236 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1957)
State v. Axe
161 N.E. 536 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1928)
Cooper v. State
170 N.E. 355 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1930)
Painesville Utopia Theatre Co. v. Lautermilch
160 N.E. 683 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1928)
State v. Fox
12 N.E.2d 413 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1938)
Rosser v. State
10 Ohio Law. Abs. 69 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1931)
Calloway v. Maxwell
206 N.E.2d 912 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
234 N.E.2d 922, 13 Ohio App. 2d 170, 42 Ohio Op. 2d 296, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-sprouse-ohioctapp-1968.