Thompson v. State

1974 OK CR 12, 518 P.2d 1119
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 23, 1974
DocketF-73-225
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1974 OK CR 12 (Thompson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. State, 1974 OK CR 12, 518 P.2d 1119 (Okla. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSSEY, Judge:

Appellant, Clyde Thompson, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried, and convicted in the District Court, Muskogee County, Case No. CRF-72-299, for the offense of Rape in the First Degree; his punishment was fixed at twenty (20) years imprisonment, and from said judgment and sentence a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

At the trial, Dr. Marvin Hird testified that in the early morning hours on November 17, 1972, he did a pelvic examination of the prosecutrix at the emergency room of the Muskogee Hospital. He discovered spermatozoa and determined that intercourse had taken place. On cross-examination, he testified that he did not make a determination whether the sperm was alive or dead.

The prosecutrix testified that on November 16, 1972, at approximately 3:30 a. m., she was sleeping with her one-year old child, on a mattress on her living room floor. Her husband, who worked the late night shift, had left for work at midnight. She awoke and became aware of another’s presence lying next to her. A man’s voice said: “Don’t say anything, just lay there and be still, I’ve got a knife — I won’t hurt you.” (Tr. 71-72). The man further said that he had been watching her for several days and that he had to have sexual intercourse with her. She testified that the man then proceeded to rape her and that penetration had occurred. She further testified that she was able to see the man’s face even though the only light in the living room came from the outside porch light and a light left on in the bathroom. She identified the defendant as the attacker. Immediately after the defendant left, she called her husband and the police.

On cross-examination, she testified that she was shown approximately 10 or 12 pictures of different individuals from which she identified the defendant, and went through two lineups at which she identified the defendant at the second lineup.

Detective Louis Bradley testified that during the days following the incident he showed the prosecutrix approximately 40 or 50 pictures and conducted two lineups in which the defendant appeared in the second lineup. After the defendant was identified at the second lineup, he was placed under arrest.

Officer Rainbolt testified that he investigated the incident, arriving at the scene at approximately 4:15 a. m. He observed pry marks on the back door of the residence.

For the defense, Detective Bradley was recalled and testified as to other police investigations wherein a similar modus oper-andi was used. He denied that one Taylor had confessed to previously breaking into the prosecutrix’s home.

The prosecutrix was recalled and testified that her home had been broken into before, and that one of the persons involved was a person by the name of Taylor.

Frank Gardenhire, defendant’s uncle, testified that during the month of November, 1972, he and Sam Starnes rode to work in Tulsa with the defendant. They left at approximately 6:30 a. m. each day. On the day of the rape the defendant picked him up for work as usual.

On cross-examination, he testified that he did not know of the defendant’s whereabouts during the early morning hours of November 16, 1972.

Sam Starnes’ testimony did not differ substantially from that of witness Garden-hire.

*1121 Margie Thompson, defendant’s wife, testified that on November IS, 1972, defendant came home, watched TV and then went to sleep. She awoke defendant at approximately 12:30 a. m. and they went to bed. She testified that she was a light sleeper and if defendant had arose in the early morning hours, she would have been awakened.

The defendant testified that on November IS, 1972, he came home from work at approximately 6:30 p. m. He ate dinner and went to sleep while watching TV. His wife awoke him and they went to bed. He arose the next morning and went to work. He denied ever seeing the prosecutrix before he observed her at the lineup.

The first proposition asserts that the trial court erred in not sustaining defendant’s Motion for Mistrial as a result of a statement made in testimony given by Officer Bradley. The record reflects the following transpired on direct examination:

“Q. And then you concluded that part of your investigation. What did you do next in connection with your investigation?
A. Well, I went and tried to find some black males that might have fitted that description who had records of rape and burglaries and what not.” (Tr. 133)

We need only observe that although the witness’ response was highly improper, defendant did not make a timely objection. The record reflects that the defendant waited until the conclusion of the direct examination before voicing an objection. In Campbell v. State, Okl.Cr., 462 P.2d 349, Judge Brett stated:

“It is also observed from the record, that the testimony defendant complains of in his brief was not timely objected to by defendant, during his trial. It comes too late to enter an objection, after the witness had completely unfolded his testimony and then attempt to prevent the jury from considering the same, as was done in the instant case.”

In McDonald v. State, Okl.Cr., 489 P.2d 776, we stated in the second paragraph of the Syllabus:

“Purpose for either side entering objections and preserving exceptions to adverse rulings is: First, to permit the trial judge to exércise his discretion concerning the admissibility of testimony; and secondly, to preserve adverse rulings for appeal.”

In the instant case defendant failed to raise a timely objection, thus denying the trial court the opportunity to admonish the jury to disregard the improper remark.

The second proposition, contends that the trial court erred in not sustaining defendant’s Motion for Mistrial as a result of a statement made by the court bailiff in the presence of the jury. The record reflects that at the conclusion of a recess, and while the jury was being empaneled in the jury box, a bailiff came into the courtroom and announced to the court: “I have •called the jail and they have informed me that the prisoner is being brought up.” (Tr. 66).

The defendant timely moved for a mistrial, which, in overruling, the trial court stated:

“For this reason that I do not believe that his voice was sufficiently loud enough for the jury to hear it and I don’t believe they did hear it.”

In denying defendant’s Motion for New Trial, the trial court stated:

“I have instructed the bailiff not to say that again but I believe the jury did not hear it and for the further reason that by the defendant’s own counsel it was brought out that he was in the county jail at the subsequent time in the trial.” (Tr. 328).

We concur with the trial court’s conclusion that even if the jury had heard the bailiff’s remark, that the same was not prejudicial in view of defendant’s testimony on direct examination that he had been con *1122 tinually incarcerated since the date of his arrest.

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Related

Luna v. State
1992 OK CR 26 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)
State v. Ferreira
731 P.2d 1233 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1986)
Pennon v. State
1978 OK CR 52 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1974 OK CR 12, 518 P.2d 1119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-state-oklacrimapp-1974.