State v. Wilkerson

164 N.C. 431
CourtSupreme Court of North Carolina
DecidedNovember 5, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 164 N.C. 431 (State v. Wilkerson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Wilkerson, 164 N.C. 431 (N.C. 1913).

Opinions

Walker, J.,

after stating tbe case: Tbe defendant was charged with a violation of tbe act of 1913, it being chapter 44, entitled “An act to secure tbe enforcement of tbe laws against tbe sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors,” ratified 3 March, 1913. Tbe act makes it unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation, other than druggists or medical depositories, duly licensed, “to have or keep in bis, their, or its possession, for tbe purpose of sale, any spirituous, vinous, or malt liquors,” and makes proof of any one of certain facts prima facie evidence of tbe violation of the act; and, among others, it is provided that “tbe possession of more than one gallon of spirituous liquors at any one time, whether in one or more places,” shall constitute such prima facie evidence of tbe fact that it is kept for sale in violation of tbe act.

Having clearly before us tbe nature of tbe particular charge against tbe defendant, tbe law alleged to have been violated and tbe proof offered in support of tbe charge, we are prepared now to consider tbe objection urged by tbe defendant’s counsel to tbe charge of tbe court.

Tbe jury were instructed that tbe fact of bis having in bis possession more than one gallon of tbe liquor made out a prima facie case against tbe defendant. If tbe court bad stopped here, and not qualified this instruction, it would have been correct; but it did not do so, but went beyond tbe terms of tbe statute and the law when it further charged that it then was tbe duty of tbe defendant “to go forward and satisfy tbe jury, by tbe greater weight of tbe evidence, that be did not have the liquor in bis possession for tbe purpose of sale.” In this further instruction we think there was error. Tbe defendant, as we have shown, is charged, under tbe act of 1913, with unlawfully having spirituous liquor in bis possession for tbe purpose of selling it, and nothing else, and proof of the possession of more than one gallon of such liquor is made prima facie evidence of [436]*436the unlawful act, wbicb is, that it is held by him for the purpose of sale, an act forbidden by the general law. It is not made unlawful for a person to have more than one gallon of spirituous liquor in his' possession, but it is criminal to have possession of that quantity for the purpose of sale, and while the bare possession of so much may, in itself and as a fact, be innocent, it is yet made primen facie evidence of guilt under the statute, as in S. v. Barrett, 138 N. C., 630. But-it is only evidence, and while it has the added force or weight of being prima facie, the latter means no more than that it is sufficient for the jury to convict upon it, alone and unsupported, if no other proof is offered; but upon the whole evidence, whether consisting of the mere fact of possession or of additional facts, the jury -are not bouncl to convict, but simply may do so if they find, beyond a reasonable doubt, or are fully satisfied that the defendant is guilty. -Prima facie means at first; on the first. appearance; on the face of it; so far as can be judged by the first disclosure; presumably. These are the definitions of the law, as we learn from- the books. Black’s Dict. (1 Ed.), 539.

The jury are no more required to convict upon a prima facie case than they are to acquit because of the presumption of innocence. They must judge themselves as to the force of the testimony and its sufficiency to produce in their minds a conviction of guilt. In civil cases the rule is the same (with a difference in the quantum), 'as prima facie evidence only carries the case to the jury, and does not entitle the party in whose favor it has been offered to a verdict as matter of right.

Referring to this rulé, as applied to civil cases, and the presumption, or prima facie case, arising under the maxim, res ipsa loquitur, which presents one of the strongest of such cas.es, the Supreme Court of the United States has recently said: “In our -opinion, res ipsa loqmtwr means that the facts of the occurrence warrant the inference of negligence, not that they compel such an inference; that they furnish circumstantial evidence of negligence where direct evidence of it may be lacking; but it is evidence to be weighed, not necessarily to be accepted as sufficient; that they call for explanation or rebuttal, not necessarily [437]*437tbat tbey require it; tbat tbey make a ease to be decided by tbe jury, not tbat tbey forestall tbe verdict. Res ipsa loquitur, where it applies, does not convert tbe defendant’s general issue into an affirmative defense. When all tbe evidence is in, tbe question for tbe jury is, wbetber tbe preponderance is witb tbe plaintiff. Sueb, we tbink, is tbe view generally taken of tbe. matter in well considered judicial opinions.” Sweeney v. Erving, 228 U. S., 233. Tbe Court cites witb approval tbe numerous cases decided by tbis Court on tbe same subject. Womble v. Grocery Co., 135 N. C., 474; Stewart v. Carpet Co., 138 N. C., 60; Lyles v. Carbonating Co., 140 N. C., 25; Ross v. Cotton Mills, ibid., 115; Board of Education v. Makely, 139 N. C., 31; Overcash v. Electric Co., 144 N. C., 572; Winslow v. Hardwood Co., 147 N. C., 275.

Justice Hoke says, for tbe Court, in Furniture Co. v. Express Co., 144 N. C., at p. 644: “It may be well to note bere tbat, in using tbe terms prima facie and presumptive, tbe terms do not import tbat tbe burden of tbe issue is changed, but tbat on tbe facts indicated tbe plaintiff is entitled to have bis cause submitted to tbe jury under a proper charge as to its existence or nonexistence and tbe effect of any presumption which may attach, as indicated in tbe eases,” citing several of tbe cases to which we have already referred.

It may, therefore, be taken as settled in tbis Court, at least, and we believe tbe same may be said of most, if not all, of tbe courts, tbat prima facie or presumptive evidence does not, of itself, establish tbe fact or facts upon which tbe verdict or judgment must rest, nor does it shift tbe burden of tbe issue, which always remains witb him who bolds, tbe affirmative. It is no more than sufficient evidence to establish tbe vital facts without other proof, if it satisfies tbe jury. Tbe other party may'be required to offer some evidence in order to prevent an adverse verdict, or to take tbe chances of -losing tbe issue if be does not, but it does not conclude him or forestall tbe verdict. He may offer evidence, if be chooses, or be may rely alone upon tbe facts raising tbe prima facie case against him, and be has tbe

[438]*438right to have it all considered by the jury, they giving such weight to the presumptive evidence as they may think it should have under the circumstances.

The defendant is not required to take the laboring oar and to overcome the case of the plaintiff by a preponderance of evidence, is what we said in Winslow v. Hardwood Co., supra, and substantially the same thing was said in the other cases we have cited. This is undoubtedly the rule in civil cases, and it applies with greater force to criminal cases, where the defendant has the benefit of the doctrines of reasonable doubt and the pre-nsumption of innocence. How can we say that prima facie evi-1/denee, or that which is apparently sufficient, excludes all reason-11 able doubt of guilt, and by its own force overcomes the pre-I

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164 N.C. 431, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wilkerson-nc-1913.