Porter v. State
Porter v. State
Opinion
The appellant, Ronald Porter, was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced as a habitual offender to 15 years in the state penitentiary. Four issues are raised on appeal.
The evidence presented by the State tended to show that on July 31, 1986, the appellant, his sister Carolyn Bray, and her boyfriend Timothy Hannon were at their house on Dan Churchman Road in Axis in Mobile County. While they were sitting on the front porch drinking wine, appellant and his sister got into an argument. Appellant's sister got up and went inside to the kitchen. Appellant followed his sister into the kitchen and the argument started anew. Timothy Hannon came in and tried *Page 236 unsuccessfully to stop the argument. First the appellant, then his sister, got a knife out of a kitchen drawer. Still armed with the knife, Ms. Bray left the kitchen. Appellant followed her into the living room and "jumped on" her. Mr. Hannon, who was unarmed and had never threatened appellant in any way, entered the living room and tried to pull the appellant off of Ms. Bray. When Mr. Hannon attempted to do this, the appellant turned around and stabbed him in the heart. Appellant then got up and left the house. Mr. Hannon died a few moments later in the arms of a neighbor who had responded to screams coming from the house. Shortly thereafter, the police arrived.
"Q: Okay. Where this happened, was that your house on Dan Churchman Road?
"A: Yes, sir.
"Q: That's in Mobile County, is it not?
"A: Uh-huh.
"(STATE'S EXHIBIT NUMBER ONE WAS MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION)
"MR. LADNER:
"Q: Okay. Carolyn, let me ask you to look. . . ."
Specifically, he contends that a witness's response of "uh-huh" to the question "That's in Mobile County, is it not?" was not a positive response and that the prosecution failed to establish that Mobile County was located in Alabama.
As we stated in Agee v. State,
"Where the State offers evidence tending to show that the crime was committed within the jurisdiction of the court, the question of venue then becomes one for the jury to decide. Willcutt v. State,
284 Ala. 547 ,226 So.2d 328 (1969); Grace v. State,369 So.2d 318 (Ala.Crim.App. 1979); Gipson v. State,375 So.2d 504 (Ala.Crim.App. 1978). The jury has the option of believing or not believing a witness who testifies as to venue."
Thus, just as in Agee, the jury believed the witness when she testified as to venue.
We are familiar with colloquialisms and recognize their universal usage. The Random House Dictionary of the English Language (2d ed. 1987) gives the following definitions:
"uh-huh . . . interj. (used to indicate agreement confirmation, attentiveness, or general satisfaction)."
"uh-uh . . . interj. (used to indicate disagreement, disapproval, or dissatisfaction)."
We recognize that "uh-huh" means "yes." By way of dicta, we recognize that "uh-uh" means "no." Thus, the witness affirmatively testified that Dan Churchman Road is in Mobile County. No error occurred.
As to appellant's claim that the prosecution did not prove that Mobile County is in the State of Alabama, this court takes judicial notice of matters known to the general public.Cowart v. State,
We have previously addressed this issue in Tarver v. State,
"Although we are unable to find an Alabama case which deals with the administration of an oath to prospective *Page 237 jurors before voir dire examination, there are numerous cases concerning the administration of the oath to petit juries as required by §
12-16-170 , Code of Alabama 1975. These cases indicate that a presumption cannot be made from a silent record that the jury was sworn. Whitehurst v. State,51 Ala. App. 613 ,288 So.2d 152 , cert. denied,292 Ala. 758 ,288 So.2d 160 (1973). There must be some affirmative showing in the record that the oath to the jury was administered. Gardner v. State,48 Ala. 263 (1872); Lacey v. State,58 Ala. 385 (1877). A minute entry is deemed to be a sufficient showing that the oath was administered. Whitehurst, supra; Murphy v. State,403 So.2d 314 (Ala.Crim.App.), cert. denied,403 So.2d 316 (1981)."
Furthermore, statements in the record such as "upon their oaths" are sufficient to show that a jury was sworn. Wilson v.State, 57 Ala.Cr.App. 591,
"Thus, the record before us is not silent as to whether an oath was administered to the prospective jurors before their voir dire examination. The record affirmatively shows that an oath was given even though this oath is not set out in the record. Furthermore, the fact that defense counsel made no objection indicates to this court that such an oath was properly administered to the prospective jurors."
A failure to object is at least some evidence that nothing objectionable occurred. We hold that no error occurred with respect to administering the oath to the venire or to the jury.
On review of the trial court's instructions to the jury, the court's charge must be taken as a whole, and the portions challenged are not to be isolated therefrom or taken out of context, but rather considered together. Jackson v. State,
As to the trial court's alleged error in failing to give appellant's requested instruction on retreat, this court has made it clear that a trial court correctly refuses written requested charges that are covered by the oral charge of the court or by other given written charges, or are inapplicable or abstract under the evidence presented at trial, or are incorrect statements of applicable law. McDaniel v. State,
A conviction in federal court for an offense that would be a felony if committed in Alabama is considered a felony conviction for purposes of enhancing punishment under our Habitual Felony Offender Act. Esters v. State,
"A person commits the crime of assault in the first degree if:"(4) In the course of and in furtherance of the commission or attempted commission of arson in the first degree, burglary in the first or second degree, escape in the first degree, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, robbery in any degree, sodomy in the first degree or any other felony clearly dangerous to human life, or of immediate flight therefrom, he causes a serious physical injury to another person."
Assault in the first degree constitutes a Class B felony. §
However, at appellant's sentencing hearing, his attorney contended that appellant may have been sentenced under the Federal Youth Corrections Act,
"(d) 'youth offender' means a person under the age of twenty-two years at the time of conviction;"(g) 'conviction' means the judgment on a verdict or finding of guilty, a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere." (emphasis supplied)
Appellant was sentenced under the provisions of
Manslaughter is a Class C felony. §
Accordingly, this cause is due to be, and it is hereby, affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All the Judges concur.
Reference
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- Ronald Porter v. State.
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