State v. Strain

81 N.E.2d 109, 84 Ohio App. 229, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 533
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 22, 1948
Docket4204
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 81 N.E.2d 109 (State v. Strain) 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. Strain, 81 N.E.2d 109, 84 Ohio App. 229, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 533 (Ohio Ct. App. 1948).

Opinion

*534 OPINION

By MILLER, J.

The defendant, Nathaniel Henry Strain, was tried on an indictment charging him with murder in the first degree, that is purposely killing, (1) in the perpetration of burglary of an inhabited dwelling, (2) in the perpetration of robbery, and (3) in the perpetration of rape. A jury trial was had which resulted in a verdict of guilty on all three counts and without a recommendation of mercy.

The record discloses that Alice Lauterbach, the deceased, was a physically deformed lady, being a hunchback, seventy-five years of age; that during the night season her home was burglarized, practically all of her clothes were torn from her body; that she had been raped and that death ensued as a result of mental and physical shock. One of the witnesses called was a Sergeant Curtis of the Columbus Police Department who testified that he had interviewed the defendant at the West Virginia Penitentiary located at Moundsville; that he had made a confession of his participation in the burglary, but denied having ravished her. This statement was taken down in shorthand and later transcribed, but was not signed by the defendant. Sergeant Curtis testified fully concerning these statements, admitting that he had previously refreshed his recollection from his, written memorandum. The defense then interposed a motion for an order to the Prosecutor to deliver to defendant’s counsel a copy of the transcript which contained all of the alleged confession. This motion was overruled and it is to this ruling that the first assignment of error is directed. In support of their position counsel for the defendant cite §§13444-1 and 11552 GC, and the case of State v. Fox 133 Oh St 154. We have examined the foregoing authorities and are of the opinion that they have no application to the question at bar.

Sec. 11552 GC refers to taking copy of documents containing evidence; and also provides on failure to comply with the Court’s order the Court may exclude the paper or document if offered in evidence. The case of State v. Fox, supra, refers to a written confession signed by one of the defendants and received as direct evidence by the Court in the trial of the defendant’s case along with another co-defendant. *535 The transcript in question is not a written confession signed by the defendant and is therefore not competent as evidence. Sergeant Curtis in testifying did not use any transcript or any other paper while on the witness stand to refresh his recollection. We recently held in the case of State v: Taylor, No. 4034, that if the witness uses a paper on the witness stand to refresh his recollection, then the defense has a right to inspect it for cross-examination. And, on the other hand, the witness can examine papers outside the court room in order to refresh his recollection and the defense has no right of inspection unless it contains evidence relating to the merits of the action or defense as stated in §11552.

A somewhat similar situation is to be found in the case of State v. Rhoads, 81 Oh St 397, the only difference being that the interview was conducted between a witness and the Prosecuting Attorney and in this case it was between the defendant and the Prosecuting Attorney. Syllabus 1 of the Rhoads case is as follows:

“1. Where a person conducts a private interview with one who afterwards is called and examined as a witness before the grand jury, which found an indictment against the defendant concerning some matters disclosed in said interview, which interview was stenographically taken, written out and subsequently delivered to the prosecuting attorney for his use, and on the trial the person interviewed is called, and testified for the state in support of the indictment, it is error for the court, on request of defendant, to order the prosecuting attorney to deliver the transcript of said interview to defendant or his counsel, or to order the prosecuting attorney to allow either of them an inspection of the same.”

In the course of the opinion in that case Judge Price in answering the argument that the defendant should be permitted to see the-transcript of an interview stenographically taken, at page 425 says:

“The state cannot compel the prisoner at the bar to submit his private papers or memoranda to the state for use or even examination, for he cannot be required to testify in the case, nor to furnish evidence against himself. Then why should the accused be allowed to rummage through the private papers of the prosecuting attorney? Neither the sublime teachings of the Golden Rule to which we have been referred, nor the supposed sense of fair play, can be so perverted as to sanction the demands allowed in this case.”

*536 The papers from • which Sergeant Curtis refreshed his recollection were not evidence but were merely memoranda obtained for the use of the prosecutor. The Court did not commit error in overruling defendant’s motion.

The next assignment of error charges that there was inadvertent misconduct by the Prosecuting Attorney in arguing to the jury, the prejudicial effects of which were not cured ■by charge of the Court to the jury to disregard same. The record discloses that during the course of his argument to the jury in opposition to a recommendation of mercy the Prosecuting Attorney referred to the defendant being in the penitentiary at Moundsville, West Virginia, seven years after the date of the alleged offense. Objection was promptly made and the Court instructed the Prosecutor not to refer to any convictions, but to state the place where the statement was taken. Mr. Bartlett then said:

“Well, anyhow, there was where they first caught up with him, and they don’t get in these penitentiaries if they follow •out—
MR. LINTON: Now, Your Honor, I say that is misconduct of counsel.
THE COURT: Well, members of the jury, disregard the .■statements between counsel.”

The fact that the defendant was in the Moundsville. State Penitentiary was in the record without any objection, and we do not find that any reference was made to any conviction. A reviewing Court will not reverse a judgment on the ground of misconduct of counsel unless it clearly appears that such misconduct was prejudicial to the losing party. The latitude allowed counsel is in some measure a matter of discretion with the trial court. We are of the opinion that an examination of the whole record discloses that the trial court did not abuse this discretion to the prejudice of the defendant. The jury was instructed to disregard the remarks of counsel which are complained of, and the jury is presumed to have followed the instructions of the Court. Cleveland Railway Co. v. Karmasin, 8 Abs 239; 39 O. Jur. p. 1073. In State v. Fox, 133 Oh St p. 154, Judge Zimmerman, in the course of the opinion in that case, says on page 160:

“A presumption always exists that the jury has followed the instructions of the court as to the law.”

*537 The third error assigned is that the Court erred by failing to charge the jury as to manslaughter, although requested, by counsel for the defendant to do so.

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Related

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491 N.E.2d 715 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1985)
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State v. Cooper
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
81 N.E.2d 109, 84 Ohio App. 229, 52 Ohio Law. Abs. 533, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-strain-ohioctapp-1948.