McGuire v. State
McGuire v. State
Opinion of the Court
There were two counts in the indictment. The first charged that the defendant Will McGuire did knowingly and willfully oppose or resist G. A. Scott, a deputy sheriff or officer of said counity, in at *139 tempting to make a lawful arrest of one Tom York, wlio at the time said arrest was attempted was in the actual commission of a public offense. The second count is similar-in its averments and charges that Will McGuire did knowingly and willfully oppose or resist G. A. Scott, a deputy sheriff or officer of said county, in the lawful arrest of one Tom York, who at the time of said lawful arrest was in the actual commission of a public offense, against the peace and dignity of the state of Alabama. The court overruled the defendant’s demurrer to the indictment, and to each count of it, separately and severally.
AVe are of the opinion that the indictment here has as much particularity in its allegations as form 92', supra. It was not subject to demurrer because of the alternative designation of the office of the person by whom the arrest was made or attempted. Murphy v. State, 55 Ala. 252; Andrews v. State, 78 Ala. 483.
The averment that the arrest or attempt to arrest was by G. A. Scott, a deputy sheriff or officer of said county, imported that he was an officer authorized to make arrests within the terms of the statute on that subject. Code, 6267.
In alleging that the arrest made or attempted was of a person who at the time was in the actual commission of a public offense, the arrest is as fully described as the warrant or writ of arrest is required to be described when the defendant is charged with resisting an officer in making or attempting to make an arrest under a warrant or writ of arrest. Howard v. State, 121 Ala. 21, 25 South. 1000. It would appear that no greater particularity is required in the one case than in the other.
AVe do not think the indictment in this case was subject to any of the grounds of objection assigned in the demurrer, for the reason that the indictment, with sufficient fullness, directly and expressly alleged the fact, in the doing of which the offense consists, “in such a manner as to enable a person of common understanding to know what is intended, and' with that degree of certainty which will enable the court, on- conviction, to pronounce the proper judgment.” The statutory requirement being that every indictment must state the facts constituting the offense, in ordinary and concise lan-. guage, without prolixity or repetition, in such manner as to enable - a person of common understanding to know what is intended, and with that degree of certainty which will enable the court, on conviction, to pronounce the proper judgment. Code 1907, § 7134.
The provision of above statute that on review “no presumption shall be indulged in favor of the court below,” has been construed to mean that this provision can only apply where the opportunities -of this court to consider the evidence is the same as the trial court; that is, when the evidence was taken by deposition. It has been expressly held that tliis statute did not have the effect to change the rule as to the weight to be accorded the finding of the trial court upon the facts. This rule is that, when the evidence is ore tenus, or partly so, and the trial court has the advantage of seeing and hearing the witnesses, this court will not disturb the conclusions, unless it is plainly and palpably contrary to the weight of the evidence. Thompson v. Collier, 170 Ala. 469, 54 South. 493; Hackett v. Cash, 196 Ala. 403, 72 South. 52.
Furthermore, there is nothing to show that the. alleged unlawful acts of Tom York were committed in the presence of the officer. It is not contended that Scott, the officer alleged to have been resisted by defendant, had a warrant for the arrest of York, and even if the insistence that York was committing a misdemeanor was; true, unless such act was committed in the presence of tbp officer, such officer was without authority of law to arrest him, and this allegation in ■the indictment being material, in fact an ingredient of the offense, the burden was upon the state to show, under the .required rules of evidence, that the arrest was lawful and that the officer under the law was authorized to-make the arrest. The testimony relating to the conduct of the defendant complained of in this indictment is vague and uncertain and in' our opinion insufficient upon which to predicate the judgment of guilt rendered.
The testimony adduced upon the trial to show that Scott was an offióer, authorized to make an arrest of this character, is also vague, uncertain, and indefinite. This fact was also material, and the state was under the burden to establish it.
■ After a careful examination of the entire record and all the testimony adduced upon this trial, we are of the opinion that the state i failed to make put its case, \and that the defendant was entitled to his discharge by the court. The court failing to render such judgment, under the authority of the statute, supra, this court here renders the judgment which, in our opinion, under all the evidence, should have been rendered by the court below.
The judgment appealed from is reversed, and one. here rendered, discharging the de-, fendant from further custody.
Reversed and rendered.
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