State v. Turlock

248 P. 169, 76 Mont. 549
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1926
DocketNo. 5,932
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 248 P. 169 (State v. Turlock) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana 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. Turlock, 248 P. 169, 76 Mont. 549 (Mo. 1926).

Opinion

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE CALLAWAY

delivered the opinion of the conrt.

Frank Turlok, having been found guilty of perjury, moved for a new trial, which by order was denied. He has appealed from the judgment and order.

Turlok was accused of giving false testimony in the trial of Ole Skrukrud, charged with selling intoxicating liquor. In the Skrukrud trial witnesses for the state testified that Tur-lok, C. C. Dorris and W. L. Kinsey were in Skrukrud’s place of business in Glendive on the evening of January 6, 1923, and at that time and place both Dorris and Kinsey bought moonshine whisky which was drunk by the three, Turlok, Dorris and Kinsey. Testifying for the defendant Skrukrud, Turlok said in substance that he knew Dorris and Kinsey but he was never in Skrukrud’s place with them, or either of them; that neither ever bought a drink of moonshine liquor for him in Skrukrud’s place; further that he had never been in the Skrukrud building with anybody at any time. In testifying as he did it is alleged in the information Turlok committed wilful perjury.

The information against Turlok was filed on March 14, 1925, and he pleaded not guilty thereto upon that day. On September 12, 1925, the court made an order fixing the cause for trial on October 2, 1925; whether the defendant or his counsel was in court when this order was made the record does not disclose. On September 28, 1925, the defendant, through his counsel, moved to dismiss the action because the defendant had not been brought to trial within six months after the filing of the information, trial not having been postponed upon his application. The motion to dismiss was overruled. The case was tried on the second and third days of October but the jury disagreed. In January, 1926, the court made an order setting the cause for trial upon March 1, 1926. On February 26, defendant’s counsel .again presented to the court a motion to dismiss the information, upon the grounds above stated. Affidavits in support of the motion were filed in behalf of the [553]*553defendant and tbe state. In substance the defendant deposed that at all times since the filing of the information he had been ready to go to trial, never had asked for a postponement or a continuance of the cause, and that its trial had not been delayed on account of any action taken by him; that he had never waived any of his rights pertaining to a speedy trial, nor authorized his attorneys nor anyone else to waive them.

Mr. Hurley, one member of the firm of Hurley & O’Neil, counsel for defendant, deposed that he had never consented to a postponement or continuance of the action, nor had he asked for or caused any delay in bringing on the matter for trial; that defendant at all times had been ready, willing and anxious to be brought to trial; that he never was present in court when there was any discussion between the court and counsel concerning setting the Turlok Case for trial, and he never at any time asked for or consented to a postponement or continuance of the case, and if he had been present in court at a time when the case was called to the court’s attention he would have demanded a speedy trial for defendant; that defendant never authorized affiant to consent to a postponement or continuance of the cause or to any delay in the trial. He then recited the fact that he had moved for a dismissal of the ease in September, which motion the court denied; that when the cause came on for trial on October 2, 1925, the defendant announced that he was not ready to proceed with the trial of the cause for the reason that he had not been brought to trial within six months after the filing of the information and that the trial had not been postponed upon his application, and the court overruled the motion; that at all times since September 28, 1925, defendant had objected to the trial of the cause for the reasons aforesaid.

Mr. O’Neil, the other member of the firm, deposed that “among the papers and records of the above entitled case is an affidavit filed by Raymond Hildebrand, county attorney for Dawson county, Montana, in opposition to a prior motion to dismiss said cause, which affidavit recited in part that this affiant made a statement on or about the second day of May, [554]*5541925, that the above named defendant was on the farm working and out on bail and that so far as this affiant was concerned or the above entitled case was concerned, no jury need be called; that said statements were suppoed to have been made when the Honorable Frank P. Leiper, judge- of the above entitled court, was calling a calender; that this affiant has no recollection whatsoever of making any of said statements.” Mr. 0 ’Neil averred that he could not recall that the court spoke to him at any time concerning the calling of a jury, and declared that never at any time had he waived the rights of the defendant to a speedy trial within the time provided by law; that he never was authorized by the defendant to waive the right he had to be tried within six months after the filing of the information.

By affidavit filed February 27, 1926, Raymond Hildebrand, the county attorney, deposed that on or about the 2d of May, 1925, when Judge Leiper was considering the matter of setting cases for trial, inquiry was made by the judge of the attorneys present who were representing litigants and defendants in cases pending in the court, as to whether it was advisable, desirous or imperative that a jury term be held in May, 1925, and during the discussions at that time‘between the members of the bar and the judge, Mr. O’Neil, one of the attorneys for the defendant, stated to the court that inasmuch as Turlok was down on his farm working and as he was out on bail ‘‘so far as he was concerned or so far as the above entitled case was concerned, no jury term need be called”; that as a direct result of the expression of opinion and representation thus made by the attorney for the defendant the judge finally decided that no jury would be called for the May, 1925, term.

The motion came on for hearing on February 27, 1926, and was then argued and submitted for decision. Thereafter, and on March 1st, Judge Leiper filed an affidavit in which he said that upon the opening day of the May, 1925, term, May 2, or within a few days thereafter, he called the calendar of both criminal and civil cases for the purpose of ascertaining what causes, if any, were ready for trial. At the time there [555]*555were present in open court the clerk of the court and Messrs. Hildebrand, Foss and O’Neil, together with the court reporter. There may have been others present. After calling the calendar it was ascertained that there were but two or three criminal cases and only one or two civil cases ready for trial. The civil cases were of minor importance. “That a discussion was had between himself as the judge of the above entitled court, and each and all of the members of the bar above mentioned, as to the necessity of calling a jury during the May term of court for the purpose of trying the above entitled cause and other causes then ready for trial; that I then and there stated to the several counsel in substance that if they were desirous of having these cases, or any one of them, tried that I would call a jury at that time or at some time during the May term. * * * That while I do not remember the exact words in which Mr. D. J. O’Neil replied, in substance Mr. O’Neil then said to me that insofar as the above entitled cause was concerned the defendant was out on bail; he was down on his farm farming; they did not want to try the case at that term and that no jury need be called insofar as that case was concerned.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
248 P. 169, 76 Mont. 549, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-turlock-mont-1926.