State v. Uhler

156 N.W. 220, 32 N.D. 483, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 131
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 5, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 156 N.W. 220 (State v. Uhler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota 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. Uhler, 156 N.W. 220, 32 N.D. 483, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 131 (N.D. 1916).

Opinion

Goss, J.

This is an appeal from an order denying a motion for new trial after sentence upon a conviction of robbery. The first alleged ground for reversal is based upon denial of defendant’s motion for a continuance over the term at which he was tried. The motion was based upon affidavits of defendant and counsel and upon the files, including a subpoena issued June 22, 1915, returnable four days later, with the [491]*491sheriff’s return of inability to find Johnson, the witness therein named. The case was called for trial July 1, 1915, whereupon the motion was presented and denied. The court stated: “The motion is overruled upon the statement of the state’s attorney in open court that he stipulates that Ole Johnson, if present, would testify” to a state of facts set forth in the record, tending to show the robbery to have taken place, if at all, ■on the Minnesota side of the Ned river and beyond the trial court’s jurisdiction. And “that this statement may be read to the jury as ■evidence in the case and considered by them as evidence.” The affidavits for continuance were read to the jury by defendant during the trial. The jury was instructed that, “in considering the testimony of ■Ole Johnson, admitted in this trial by the state as facts which Ole ■Johnson would testify to if present, the jury must give the same weight to such testimony as they would give to it had Ole Johnson been upon the stand testifying under oath; and if from all the testimony in The case, the testimony of Ole Johnson included, there is a reasonable doubt ■of the guilt of the defendant as charged in the information, then the jury must acquit.” This fairly reflects the record upon this question. However, in the absence of any concession from the state concerning what Johnson would have testified to, the court would have been justified in denying a continuance, because of defendant’s failure to show diligence in preparation for trial and because of the further fact that, under the showing made, the absent witness may never return within the jurisdiction of the court, and a continuance would be useless and unavailing. But the state was tendered, and it accepted, the statement as to what Johnson would testify as in lieu of his deposition thereto. And the state, being ready for trial, opposed the continuance, and it was denied.

Defendant contends that the court treated his application as sufficient by the acceptance of the stipulation in lieu of the testimony of Johnson, and allowed the case to be tried upon that theory, and thence the state is now precluded from questioning on appeal the sufficiency ■of the showing made for the continuance; and that the case must be treated as a denial of a motion for continuance made upon a sufficient basis upon condition of a concession by the state of the facts to which the absent witness would testify. Upon this assumption defendant contends that the denial of the continuance was both an abuse of discretion [492]*492and a violation of his constitutional right to process of the court to compel the attendance of witnesses in his behalf, as guaranteed by § 13 of art. 1 of our state Constitution. Defendant claims that, in ruling upon constitutional rights, no compulsory concession can be considered as the equivalent of the testimony of a witness given upon trial; that the only equivalent of the testimony of such absent witness is an unequivocal admission by the state of the truth of the facts to which it is claimed such absent witness would have testified, which admission would have-dismissed this prosecution.

Brief reference may be made to the various holdings. It should be noted that about half the states have statutes governing practice under these conditions. We have not. Section 10,787, Comp. Laws 1913, but provides that a continuance may be granted upon sufficient cause, and that a cause which would be considered as sufficient for postponement in a civil action is sufficient in a criminal action. Some states have statutes that a continuance may be denied upon a concession by the state that the witness, if present, would testify as stated in the affidavits for continuance, making the affidavits for continuance virtually depositions which the defense may thus use, but subject to contradiction by the state. Statutes upon the question are to be found in Arkansas, Illinois, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Wyoming. See note in 4 Enc. PL & Pr. 867, and note in 28 Ann. Cas. 1913C. In some of these states, as in Missouri, it has been held that a statute providing that a continuance may be avoided, by concession, but without admitting therein the truth of the matters specified for a continuance, is an unconstitutional deprivation of the right to compel the testimony of the absent witness, and hold accordingly that the facts stated for a continuance must be admitted as true by the state for it to thus avoid a continuance. Likewise cases from Louisiana, Texas, California, and other states hold that nothing less than an admission of the truth of said statements will justify denial of a continuance to which the defendant is otherwise entitled. California authorities also hold, supporting the contention of the defendant, that a denial of a continuance, but upon condition of the state’s admitting the facts in the affidavit foi* continuance, places the sufficiency of the basis for the continuance beyond dispute by the state. People v. Fong Chung, 5 Cal. App. 587, 91 Pac. 105. The leading [493]*493California ease upon the denial of continuance by concession is People v. Diaz, 6 Cal. 248, and for a recent holding to the same effect see People v. Bossert, 14 Cal. App. 111, 111 Pac. 15. These cases, like People v. Fong Chung, supra, hold that a defendant “had a constitutional right to have his witnesses orally examined in court, and in the absence of a showing that the motion was made in bad faith that he was entitled to a reasonable time to secure their attendance.” Tennessee and Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas are to the same effect. State v. Baker, 13 Lea, 326; State v. Salge, 2 Nev. 321; Madison v. State, 6 Okla. Crim. Rep. 356, 118 Pac. 617, Ann. Cas. 1913C, 484; State v. Wilcox, 21 S. D. 532, 114 N. W. 687; Jenkins v. State, 49 Tex. Crim. Rep. 457, 122 Am. St. Rep. 812, 93 S. W. 726. Most of the other states qualify the rule or treat the entire matter of the continuance, including the affidavits and concessions and all facts known to the court from the files and proceedings had in the case, as a discretionary matter, reviewable for abuse of discretion, and as involving, when reasonably exercised, no violation of any constitutional right of process to compel attendance of witnesses. In the recent Wisconsin case of Miller v. State, 139 Wis. 57, 119 N. W. 850, many decisions are cited and discussed, in all phases here involved, including constitutional right to process. Mr. Justice Marshall in the course of the opinion states: “My personal view is that upon a full concession being made, as in this case, even in the event of a good case made for a continuance, it not only is within the discretion, but the discretion ought to be exercised to proceed with the trial under some circumstances. That the constitutional right to have one’s witnesses in ease of a criminal prosecution against him testify upon the trial does not mean under all circumstances. Otherwise, the wheels of justice might be impeded to great public detriment without really subserving any private right, except in a technical sense.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Besette Ex Rel. Besette v. Enderlin School District No. 22
310 N.W.2d 759 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1981)
State v. McLain
301 N.W.2d 616 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1981)
State v. Ternes
259 N.W.2d 296 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1977)
Sherfield v. State
1952 OK CR 169 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1952)
Hite v. United States
168 F.2d 973 (Tenth Circuit, 1948)
State v. Nieto
280 P. 248 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1929)
State v. Basinger
271 P. 325 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1928)
Stubbins Hotel Co. v. Beissbarth
174 N.W. 217 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1919)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
156 N.W. 220, 32 N.D. 483, 1916 N.D. LEXIS 131, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-uhler-nd-1916.