Stout v. State

426 S.W.2d 800, 244 Ark. 676, 1968 Ark. LEXIS 1402
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedApril 22, 1968
Docket5329
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 426 S.W.2d 800 (Stout v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stout v. State, 426 S.W.2d 800, 244 Ark. 676, 1968 Ark. LEXIS 1402 (Ark. 1968).

Opinions

Lyle Brown, Justice.

Bill Stout was tried on a first degreei murder charge for the fatal shooting of Winfred Lee Jones. From a conviction of manslaughter he appeals. Eight procedural errors are urged for reversal.

Stout and Jones, both in their thirties, were friends. Both were family men and they visited in each other’s homes. On the day of the shooting, Jones went to the Stout home in Fort Smith and the two men drank some beer. Stout said he consumed two beers. Stout was working on a cabinet and Jones helped with the task. Stout went to work on a 4:00 p.m. shift and when he left home about thirty minutes earlier, Jones remained at the Stout home. Shortly after six o’clock Stout received a call from a member of his family, informing him that Jones was still at the home, and was belligerent and insulting. Stout obtained a short leave and went home. He asked Jones to leave and the latter refused. Stout went to a nearby telephone and called the police. Officer Hamlet declined to answer the call unless Stout would come in and swear out a wjarrant. It was Stout’s testimony that he returned to his home; that he sent word in to Jones to come outside; that Jones refused; whereupon Stout walked inside the door. Jones arose from a couch and “went tp his left-hand pocket again.” It was at that point that Stout fired his pistol, fatally wounding Jones. The defendant testified he knew Jones had a knife and thought he might have a pistol.

Stout testified that he had no intention of shooting Jones. He stated that his only purpose in firing the shot was to shoot over Jones’ head and frighten him into leaving the house. The single shot entered the front part of the left chest and lodged in the rear of the right chest. It tore the left pulmonary artery and transgressed the upper aspect of the left lung. Death followed within a matter pf minutes.

The case was submitted to the jury on first and second degree murder and manslaughter. The manslaughter conviction carried a sentence of two years. We reverse on Point I, but because of a possible retrial we will enumerate and discuss seven of the points raised.

Point I. The trial court erred in refusing to require the prosecuting attorney to produce the written statements of the defendant and Witness Tommy Rco/y Thomas. When Stout was taken to the sheriff’s office he made an oral statement to Sheriff Vickery, explaining his version of the incident in detail. Shortly thereafter the prosecuting attorney arrived and took a written statement. When Sheriff Vickery was testifying as to the oral statement made to him, counsel for appellant inquired if the written statement was the same as the oral statement. To that question the prosecutor replied that they were generally similar. At that point appellant’s counsel.asked that the written statement be introduced through the sheriff. The request was denied on the ground that its introduction was a matter for the prosecuting attorney to decide.

Later the same matter arose. Appellant was being cross-examined by the prosecuting attorney. He challenged the truth of appellant’s contention that appellant received a report by telephone that Jones was still at the house, drunk and belligerent. The prosecutor asked: “How does it happen in your [written] statement that there is no mention of it?” At that point appellant’s counsel objected to the prosecutor picking out parts of a statement and withholding the rest; he suggested that the proper procedure would be to introduce the statement. The court overruled the objection. The prosecutor continued to ask the witness questions concerning the contents of the written statement, the clear insinuation being that accused told the truth when he gave the statement but not so when he was testifying.

The prosecutor used the written statement as a tool to impress upon the jury his contention that inconsistencies existed between that statement and the testimony of the accused. With the credibility of the witness being so placed in jeopardy, we think the request by the accused that the jury be permitted to evaluate the contents of the statement should have been granted. The prosecutor accused Stout of denying portions of his written statement. How could the jury determine the accuracy of that accusation unless they were permitted to examine the statement? By introducing the statement on appellant’s motion the State would not necessarily be bound by its contents. It could also be introduced for the limited purpose of determining if any inconsistencies existed between its contents and Stout’s testimony. Stout had in fact testified; that the two were the same except for details. The prosecuting attorney’s attempt to establish inconsistencies was in effect an effort to impress portions of the written statement in the minds of the jurors. In Adkins v. Hershy, 14 Ark. 442 (1854), the court said:

“The admission must be taken as a whole, and if the plaintiff proves only a part, the defendant may call for the entire conversation on cross-examination. The rule is, not that the plaintiff is concluded by the entire admission, but that it is competent evidence for the defendant to go to the jury, who are the proper judges of its credibility, and may reject such portions if any, as appear to be inconsistent, improbable or rebutted by other circumstances in evidence. ’ ’

It is true the> State did not formally introduce parts of the written statement but the effect was the same. We therefore hold that the same rule should apply, namely J that the defendant should be permitted to prove other relevant portions. Whitten v. State, 222 Ark. 426, 261 S. W. 2d 1 (1953).

It was Pot error to permit the sheriff to testify as to the oral statements made to him by the accused. The written statement was taken by the prosecuting attorney and not by the sheriff. Those were tVo different statements. Finn v. State, 127 Ark. 204, 191 S. W. 899 (1917).

Point II. The court erred in refusing to suppress< oral statements made by the defendant at his home and before he was advised of his constitutional rights. Officer Hamlet, with whom Stout had previously conferred on the telephone, was the first officer to arrive after the shooting. He could see the deceased lying on the floor. He inquired of appellant as to the whereabouts of the weapon. Appellant’s wife located it and brought it to the officer. Hamlet then inquired of the accused if that gun was used in the shooting; to which the latter replied in the affirmative. That was the sum total of their conversation.

Shortly thereafter the sheriff arrived. The only conversation between the sheriff and the accused was summarized by appellant: “He asked me what was going on and a few simple questions.” At that point the sheriff told Stout he would have to go to town with him.

Appellant relies on Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (1966), contending he was not given the required warnings prior to the two recited interviews. Mircmda does not apply here. The police were responding to a call from the defendant and found a dead body. The officers ’ investigation had not reached an accusatory stage. Mircmda warnings are required when the investigation reaches custodial interrogation of a suspect. The officers testified that immediately on reaching headquarters, and prior to that interrogation, defendant was fully advised of his'rights.

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Bluebook (online)
426 S.W.2d 800, 244 Ark. 676, 1968 Ark. LEXIS 1402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stout-v-state-ark-1968.