Wallace v. State

1935 OK CR 50, 45 P.2d 164, 57 Okla. Crim. 50, 1935 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 19
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 17, 1935
DocketNo. A-8791.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1935 OK CR 50 (Wallace 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
Wallace v. State, 1935 OK CR 50, 45 P.2d 164, 57 Okla. Crim. 50, 1935 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 19 (Okla. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

DAVENPORT, P. J.

The plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was by information charged with murder, was convicted, and his punishment fixed at life imprisonment in the state penitentiary, at McAlester, Okla.

The testimony of the state shows the shooting, occurred on a public street in the city of Hobart, in what is kno wn as the negro section of the city. The killing occurred on Sunday night, the 27th of July, 1930. The proof shows the defendant armed himself with a Winchester rifle, and went out on the street near what is known as a Holiness negro church, while services were being conducted. There were several persons around the defendant, and one or more of them suggested to him to give them the Winchester, or to go and put it up, and defendant said he would not put the gun up; that he had it there for his protection; that his brother had gone after his gun, and threatened to do him great bodily harm or kill him.

The deceased, who’ was a police officer in the city of Hobart, was informed of the disturbance in the negro section, and went out to investigate; he drove his car up to where the defendant was standing surrounded by the crowd, and as deceased walked up to the crowd some of the witnesses say he said, “What in the hell is going on?” and others say he said, “What is going on here?” The deceased was armed with a pistol; when defendant saw deceased coming toward the crowd, he raised his rifle and *52 fired at deceased, the first shot going in the ground in front of him, and the second shot hitting deceased in the arm, causing a wound which severed a main blood vessel, from which wound a few hours later the deceased died.

The defendant in his testimony admits having a Winchester rifle, having gone out on the streets of the city, and stated he had it for the purpose of protecting himself against the threats of his brother; that when the deceased came up in the crowd he saw the gun in his hand, but he did not recognize the deceased as being an officer, but thought it was his brother or some one going to do him great bodily harm; and that he fired at the deceased in order to' prevent him from shooting, any one.

The defendant states positively that he did not know whom he shot until after the shooting was over. The testimony shows that the hall fired by the defendant entered the right arm or wrist of the deceased, and passed on up cutting a main artery, and passed out of his arm. The defendant after the shooting remained on the street for some time and then went into a place of business or house and got another Winchester, and came out with two Winchester rifles, and then said to a party who had driven up in his car and left the lights burning to turn off the lights. This is in substance the testimony.

Twelve errors have been assigned by the defendant alleged to be sufficient to- warrant this court in reversing his case. The first and second errors will be considered together as they have been argued by the defendant in his brief. That the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence, and is contrary to law. The defendant alleges that a careful study of the entire record of the evidence in this case will show that there was no intention on the part of the defendant to inflict a mortal *53 wound on any person at tbe time-tbe fatal shot was fired, and particularly that be did not intend to barm Al Trent-bam, tbe deceased.

Tbe defendant was violating tbe law when be appeared on tbe public streets of tbe city with a loaded Winchester; be bad no right to be there with tbe Winchester even though be was anticipating trouble; bis duty was to go to bis home and remain there so as not to come in contact with tbe party be insists bad threatened to take bis life, or do him great bodily barm. Counsel for tbe defendant, with a great deal of force, argues defendant was an expert shot, that be bad been trained for army service in the World War. This argument presented by counsel for tbe defendant is not altogether borne out by tbe record, as some of tbe testimony shows that when be fired tbe first shot it went into tbe ground, and tbe second shot was tbe fatal shot, which struck tbe deceased in tbe arm.

Tbe testimony as disclosed by tbe record shows that tbe defendant bad been drinking; that be bad armed himself with a Winchester rifle, and went out on tbe public streets of tbe city of Hobart, where a number of people were passing back and forth, and near where religious services were being held. That a number of friends tried to gét him to put bis gun away and be refused to do so, evincing a desire to further violate tbe law by shooting some one with tbe Winchester rifle that be had in bis band. Every act of tbe defendant, as shown by tbe testimony, from tbe time be appeared on tbe street in tbe city of Hobart until be fired tbe fatal shot indicated that be was not only violating the laws of tbe state by unlawfully carrying tbe Winchester rifle on tbe streets of Hobart, but that be was there for tbe purpose, if necessary, of taking *54 the life of some one. Section 2587, O. S. 1931, is as follows:

“Persons shall be permitted to carry shotguns or rifles for the purpose of hunting, having them repaired, or for killing animals, or for the purpose of using, the same in public muster or military drills, or while traveling or removing from one place to another, and not otherwise.”

That he did not give up his gun when requested to do SO' by his friends, but remained on the street until the officer approached and asked what was going on, then defendant immediately raised his gun and fired; the first shot going into the ground, the second shot striking the deceased in the arm.

We deem it needless to further discuss the actions of the defendant or his purpose of being on the streets with a loaded Winchester. We hold that the evidence is amply sufficient to sustain the verdict of the jury.

The next question to be considered by this court is, Did the court properly instruct the jury as to the law applicable to the facts in this case?

The defendant urges that the court erred in instructions 4 and 5. That the court misdirected the jury upon the question of law. The first paragraph of the fourth instruction is a correct statement of the law as applied to the question of the guilt or innocence of the defendant of the crime of murder. In the second paragraph of the fourth instruction there is an inaccurate statement of the court, which is not borne out by the record, in which paragraph the instruction advises the jury the fact the defendant “did wrongfully and unlawfully shoot the said Al Trentham but without a design to effect his death, and that at the time of and immediately prior to the said shooting the defendant was carrying upon or about his person *55 a pistol or revolver, and that because of tbe said shooting the said A1 Trentliam did die, then your verdict should be that the defendant is guilty of manslaughter in the first degree, unless you should find and believe, or have a reasonable doubt that the homicide was committed in self-defense, within the rules hereinafter laid down for your guidance.”

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Related

Sanders v. State
1959 OK CR 74 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1959)
State v. Alsup
243 P.2d 256 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1952)
Pebworth v. State
1948 OK CR 114 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1948)
Workman v. State
1946 OK CR 117 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1946)
Sweet v. State
1940 OK CR 142 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1940)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1935 OK CR 50, 45 P.2d 164, 57 Okla. Crim. 50, 1935 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wallace-v-state-oklacrimapp-1935.