Thomas v. State
Thomas v. State
Opinion of the Court
The appellant was indicted for murder in the first degree, convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 10 years. The killing appears to have been the result of a contention on the part of appellant and deceased, in reference to a path that led through deceased’s back yard, and near or close to a toilet. The contention of the state being that appellant had been warned not to travel this path, and that of the appellant that it was used generally by the public, and that he had not used the path after he had been warned not to do so. While the witness Wallace Glenn did state at first that he did not know of his own knowledge that the appellant traveled this pathway, on further questioning by the solicitor he stated, over the objection of the appellant, that he saw appellant travel the path leading by the toilet on the day prior to the shooting. This testimony was relevant as tending to throw light on the inquiry as to who was at fault in bringing on the difficulty. In view of the uncontradicted testimony that at the time of the shooting the deceased first called to appellant and told him that he wanted to see him about traveling this path, and the testimony that he traveled it the day before, all taken together may not have been considered by the jury unfavorable to the defendant, in his contention that he was free from fault in bringing on the difficulty, and as tending to show that the path was used generally.
“State whether or not when you got to your father’s body and saw Mr. Thomas coming down you picked up two pieces of brick, and if Mr. Thomas in the presence of Mr. Crump there at your father’s body told you if you throwed those two bricks at him that he would shoot you as full of holes as he had your daddy.”
This question was objected to by the defendant as not being a .part of the res geste, and was not in rebuttal. The objection being overruled, witness answered, “Yes, sir,” and motion made to exclude the answer, and the same grounds of objection as had been interposed to the question. The defendant had testified on cross-examination that such an incident had not taken place. This statement attributed by the testimony was no part of the homicidal act nor of the circumstances so immediately attending the act as to constitute it a part of the res gestse. But evidence may be capable of different constructions, and we cannot say that this had no tendency to show defendant’s hostility at the time of the declaration, and from that the jury may have inferred hostility at the time of the killing. Charlie Carter v. State, 205 Ala. 460, 88 South. 571; Smith v. State, 183 Ala. 10, 62 South. 864; 1 Wigm. on Evidence, § 396; McManus v. State, 36 Ala. 285; Henderson v. State, 70 Ala. 29.
There being no error in the record, the judgment of conviction must be affirmed.
Affirmed.
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other cases see same topic and KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digests and Indexes
Addendum
On Rehearing.
Upon a further consideration of the facts in this case, as shown by the record, and the rulings of the court in several instances, we have reached the conclusion that the application for rehearing should be granted, the order of affirmance set aside, and the judgment of the lower court reversed, and the cause be remanded.
“No, sii’, he walked as straight as he ever did, and then his little girl ran out to meet him, and asked him if he had got her any candy, and he told her No.”
The court properly sustained defendant’s objection to the latter portion of this answer, but, notwithstanding this fact, over the objection of defendant, permitted counsel for state to quote this testimony to the jury and to comment upon same during his argument. In overruling the seasonable objection of defendant in this connection the court committed error. Sanford v. State, 143 Ala. 78, 39 South. 370. Counsel should not be permitted *271 comment upon facts not before the jury, or not legally competent and admissible as evidence. McAdory v. State, 62 Ala. 154, 163; Sullivan v. State, 66 Ala. 48; Dollar v. State, 99 Ala. 236, 13 South. 575.
“We feel that in using these words to the jury that this appellant was done a great injustice; we feel, however, that it was unintentional on the part of the solicitor that the statement was made in his argument as a climax,” etc.
The question here presented we think comes clearly within the rule announced in the following cases: Tannehill v. State, 159 Ala. 51, 48 South. 662; Stephens v. State, 17 Ala. App. 548, 86 South. 111; Scott v. State, 110 Ala. 48, 20 South. 468; Standridge v. Martin, 203 Ala. 486, 84 South. 266, and cases cited.
The application for rehearing is granted, the order of affirmance set aside, and the judgment of conviction in the lower court is reversed, and the cause remanded.
Application granted.
Beversed and remanded.
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