State v. Vidalez

360 P.2d 224, 89 Ariz. 215, 1961 Ariz. LEXIS 205
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 8, 1961
Docket1179
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 360 P.2d 224 (State v. Vidalez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona 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. Vidalez, 360 P.2d 224, 89 Ariz. 215, 1961 Ariz. LEXIS 205 (Ark. 1961).

Opinion

JENNINGS, Justice.

This is an appeal from conviction and’ sentence to the state penitentiary for the offense of unlawful possession of narcotics,, to wit, heroin.

Appellant (hereinafter called defendant)' accompanied by Adeline Licudine, a married woman, and defendant’s nephew, EddieLucero went from Phoenix to Nogales, Arizona, where they crossed the border into' Nogales, Sonora, and purchased heroin. Upon return to a Nogales, Arizona motel *217 room they gave themselves a number of “fixes” completely consuming the purchase. Thereafter, a second heroin purchase was made across the border.

On the return trip to Phoenix, the trio was stopped and searched by officers. No narcotics were immediately found. However, the officers did find a paraphernalia kit known as a narcotic users’ kit which ■contained an eye dropper, a syringe, and a needle wrapped in paper. Later Mrs. Licudine produced a rubber condom containing heroin from within her person.

The officers conducted the trio to the State Building in Tucson where Mrs. Licudine and Lucero voluntarily gave written statements confessing their respective parts in the narcotics transaction. Mrs. Licudine and Lucero were convicted and sentenced for possession of narcotics. The conviction of the defendant followed.

Defendant assigned as error (a) the admission of testimony regarding the defendant’s personal relationship with Mrs. Licudine, (b) the misconduct of a county attorney and (c) admission of testimony regarding the fact that the defendant was a user of narcotics.

Defendant claimed that the interrogation of Lucero and defendant with respect to the personal relationship between Mrs. Licudine and defendant constituted an attack upon the character and reputation of defendant when these were not in issue. Defendant also contended that since the truth of the testimony was all that was at issue, the general rule should apply, i. e., only traits bearing on honesty and veracity are permissible, and evidence of sexual immorality and other traits having no direct connection with veracity are excluded. State v. Harris, 73 Ariz. 138, 238 P.2d 957; and see Udall, Arizona Law of Evidence, Sec. 66, pp. 99, 100. Finally, on his first assignment of error defendant contended that the interrogation was an attempt to get before the jury evidence of specific acts of misconduct which did not result in the conviction of a felony.

It is a fundamental proposition of law that the jury is entitled to be apprised of any bias, prejudice or hostility which a particular witness may feel toward a party to a lawsuit or prosecution in order that the jury may better be able to evaluate the true worth of that witness’ testimony. State v. Rothe, 74 Ariz. 382, 249 P.2d 946; State v. Deen, 69 Ariz. 188, 211 P.2d 460; State v. Guerrero, 58 Ariz. 421, 120 P.2d 798; and see Udall, Arizona Law of Evidence, Sec. 65, p. 95.

We find no error by the trial court, in permitting the questioning of the witness, Eddie Lucero, and the defendant himself, concerning defendant’s personal relations with Mrs. Licudine. It is apparent that Mrs. Licudine became hostile to the State. Her testimony was at variance with the *218 statement she had previously given the officers. Thus it became pertinent and proper to show her bias as evidenced by her “interest” in or relation to defendant.

The fact that this testimony might not have been admissible for any other purpose does not defeat its proper admission when it is competent and admissible on a material issue. If evidence is admissible for any purpose, the fact that it discloses incidentally incompetent matter does not exclude it. Lawrence v. State, 29 Ariz. 247, 240 P. 863, rehearing denied, 29 Ariz. 318, 241 P. 511, certiorari denied 269 U.S. 585, 46 S.Ct. 201, 70 L.Ed. 425.

Indeed, in State v. Guerrero, supra, 120 P.2d at page 801, this Court held:

" * * * Interest of a witness may always be shown. 28 R.C.L. 615, section 204. If Navarro and defendant were living together, it is very probable that her testimony would be influenced in defendant’s favor by that fact * *

Defendant by the first part of his second assignment of error contended that prejudicial error resulted when the county attorney gave the jury the impression that the defendant’s counsel was trying to hide something from the jury when the prosecutor requested the defendant Vidalez to roll up his sleeve but evidently his attorney did not want this to be done.

Whether or not this was error, we believe the error was cured and was certainly rendered non-prejudicial when the court immediately instructed the jury to disregard, the remarks in the following language:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, disregard', any statements that counsel may have made. They" are not to be considered by you at all in your deliberations and. the points of evidence that come up, it is to the Court to rule whether they are admissible or not. You are not to conjecture as to what any answer may have been or when an objection is sustained you are not to conjecture as to what the reasons might have been for an objection. You are only to consider evidence that comes from the witness stand.”

In its final instructions to the jury, the-court again directed the jury to disregard the remarks of counsel.

The cases are replete with instances where errors of this nature were cured by a proper and timely statement to the jury promptly after utterance of the erroneous remarks and by proper instructions to the jury in the final charge. Smith v. State, 169 Md. 474, 182 A. 287; Barber v. State, 191 Md. 555, 62 A.2d 616. Representing-the outer extremities of this rule is the case of Irvin v. State, Fla., 66 So.2d 288, certiorari denied 346 U.S. 927, 74 S.Ct. 316,. 98 L.Ed. 419, where state’s attorney made a statement to the effect that defendant’s. *219 •counsel did not want certain evidence in and was hindering the state’s case. It was held that even though the remarks were improper it was not prejudicial error for the court to refuse to give an instruction to disregard the remarks. If error was overcome in that situation, how harmless it is in this case where the court not only instructed the jury immediately to disregard the remarks, hut additionally gave a covering instruction in the charge to the jury.

In defendant’s argument supporting part tvyo of its second assignment of error, defendant contended prejudicial error resulted when the prosecutor walked around the courtroom exhibiting to the jury a judgment of a previous conviction and a photo.graph of defendant attached thereto. Defendant contended that this action served the same purpose as if the document had been received in evidence.

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Bluebook (online)
360 P.2d 224, 89 Ariz. 215, 1961 Ariz. LEXIS 205, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-vidalez-ariz-1961.