State v. Walls

27 Ohio Law. Abs. 545, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1084
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 1, 1938
DocketNo 382
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 27 Ohio Law. Abs. 545 (State v. Walls) 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. Walls, 27 Ohio Law. Abs. 545, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1084 (Ohio Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

OPINION

By BARNES, PJ.

The above entitled cause is now being determined on error from the judgment of [546]*546the Municipal Court of the City of Springfield, Clark County, Ohio.

There are some procedural- irregularities which we desire to call to the attention of counsel in order that they may be avoided in the future.

First, the notice of appeal states that the appeal is made on question of law and fact. It should read notice of appeal on question of law. Notice of appeal on questions of law and fact is only proper where the action desired to be appealed is a chancery case. Appeals on questions of law are appropriate for error proceedings.

It needs no argument other than the statement that a criminal action is never a chancery case. Reference is made to §12223-1 GC, where the definition of the two forms of appeals is very fully and clear - ly given.

Parties treated the appeal as a proceeding in error, and we will so consider it.

Our court has been very liberal in granting to counsel a hearing on the appeal regardless of the fact that they improperly designate their appeal one on law and fact.

However, some Courts of Appeal in the state are dismissing cases where the appeal is not properly designated. The question is now pending before the Supreme Court. Counsel should not treat this question lightly.

Another irregularity is in the title'of the case. The proper title should be State of Ohio, plaintiff, appellee, v Cable Walls, defendant, appellant. This is' provided by §12223-5 GC.

The following brief statement of facts will render understandable the nature of the controversy.

The defendant, Cable Walls, was tried, convicted and sentenced in the Municipal Court of Springfield, Ohio, for illegally transporting liquor in violation of §6064-55 GC.

The assignment of errors as filed contains thirteen separately numbered specifications. We shall take these up in the order set out in the assignment.

“1. THE AFFIDAVIT UPON WHICH DEFENDANT WAS PUT ON TRIAL WAS IMPROPERLY DRAWN AND IMPROPERLY AMENDED AT BAR BY THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY.”

This claimed error does not present itself at all through the record. But for the brief of counsel for appellant, we would be unable to ascertain the nature of this claimed error.

From the brief and from no other source the claim is presented that the original affidavit from which the warrant issued contained in the proper place of defendants only the name of Cable Walls. Two other defendants, Eugene Hinkenbothan and Owen Griffin, were arrested under this same affidavit. The statement is made in the brief that the names of the latter two defendants were ■ not in the body of the affidavit at the time of the arrest, but by leave. of court were inserted at the time Hinkenbothan and Griffin were being tried. The statement is made that these two were first tried, and together, and that Walls was later tried and separately The statement is made that, the defendants, Hinkenbothan and Griffin, were acquitted. The insertion of the names, in the affidavit would not be prejudicial to the rights of the defendant, Cable Walls, although available to Hinkenbothan and Griffin had either of them been found guilty.

Conceding the form of the affidavit as claimed by counsel for appellant with the names of Hinkenbothan and Griffin omitted, if not regular in form, in all other particulars would constitute a valid and legal charge against Walls. The improper insertion of two other names as joint defendants in the instant case would not be prejudicial to Walls. There might be situations under which such a procedure would be prejudicial, but it does not suggest itself in the instant case.

This ground of error is not well grounded for two reasons, (1) that it is not manifest from the record, and (2) that if existing as claimed the insertion of the names would not be prejudicial.

“2. THE REFUSAL OF THE COURT TO ADMIT CERTAIN TESTIMONY SOUGHT TO BE OFFERED BY THE APPELLANT WHICH SAID TESTIMONY WAS MATERIAL TO THE ISSUE IN THE CASE.”

The brief of counsel for appellant makes the statement that this assignment of error has reference to the refusal of the court to ' permit full and complete examination of the witness, Mr. Seifert, district manager of the Ohio Liquor Control Board, and also to the refusal of the court to permit the defendant, Walls, to testify fully as to the scope and extent of his relationship to and employment by the officers of the [547]*547Department of Liquor Control. In searching the record, we fail to find that the court sustained any objection to the testimony of the defendant.

The witness, Seifert, although subpoenaed by defendant, 'was called by the state in rebuttal. The tidal court very properly ruled that the cross-examination of Seifert would be limited to the testimony properly brought out from this witness on rebuttal. Counsel for appellant complains that this witness failed to respond to the subpoena issued on behalf of defendant, but did appear on the second day in response to a telephone call from the City Prosecutor.

The record discloses that the prosecutor offered to permit counsel for defendant to interrogate Seifert as his witness, notwithstanding that defendant had rested his case.

We find no prejudicial error under specification No. 2.

"3. THE ADMISSION OF CERTAIN TESTIMONY OFFERED BY THE STATE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED AS IMMATERIAL AND IRRELEVANT.”

It is stated in the brief that this specification has reference to the testimony of Cliff Davis and his wife as to the hearing of unknown persons in front of their house on the night of the day the defendants were arrested. These two witnesses, Davis and his wife, were called by the prosecution, for the purpose of connecting up testimony of the police officers that a certain automobile moving and stopping along West North Street, in the early morning and while dark, of the day that the defendant was arrested on charge of illegal transportation, was the automobile of the defendant, Cable Walls. Even if it is conceded that the evidence falls short in its identification of Walls, it could not be prejudicial.

“4. PERMITTING PROSECUTING ATTORNEY TO AMEND HIS AFFIDAVIT AT BAR BY INTERLINEATION AND CHANGING OF WORDS WITHOUT HAVING SAID AFFIDAVIT RESWORN BY ITS AFFIANT, ALL OF SAID CHANGES BEING MADE BY PROSECUTOR AFTER THE STATE HAD RESTED ITS CASE AND THE APPELLANT HAD MADE A MOTION TO DISMISS THE ACTION BASED UPON THE AFFIDAVIT IN ITS UNAMENDED FORM.”

The affidavit upon which the warrant issued, omitting its formal parts, reads as follows:

“Before me, H. C.

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Related

State v. Hupman
139 N.E.2d 360 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1954)

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Bluebook (online)
27 Ohio Law. Abs. 545, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1084, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-walls-ohioctapp-1938.