People v. Harris
People v. Harris
Opinion of the Court
Upon an indictment charging him therewith, defendant was convicted of the crimes of burglary and grand larceny.
He appeals from the judgment which followed and from an order of court denying his motion for a new trial.
The accusation is based upon the alleged act of defendant in feloniously entering the banking-room of the First *549 National Bank of Artesia and unlawfully taking therefrom certain moneys, bonds, and other personal property belonging to the bank.
The indictment alleged the offense was committed on or about March 29, 1919. In his opening statement the district attorney stated that the evidence would show that the crime was committed on March 25, 1919. Thereupon counsel for defendant moved for a continuance upon the ground that he did not have witnesses present to prove where the defendant was on March 25th. This motion was denied without prejudice to counsel’s renewal of the motion if it were found necessary for him to secure such witnesses; in response to which counsel expressed himself as satisfied with the ruling. The fact that such application was not made, although the trial continued for a period of two weeks, is indicative of the fact that no reason existed for renewing the motion.
*550 [2] It appears that at the beginning of the trial and “before any of the names in the jury-box of jurors regularly in attendance in Department 18 had been drawn, and while the roll of the trial panel whose names were in the jury-box was being called by the clerk, on reaching the names of Ida M. Bruns and W. B. Grosh, the court excused said two jurors from further attendance as jurors.’’ Thereupon counsel for appellant interposed a challenge to the entire panel, based upon the action of the court in excusing the said jurors of its own motion, which challenge, since no ground existed therefor under the provisions of section 1059 of the Penal Code, was properly denied. Nevertheless, appellant insists, that his substantial rights were, in some indefinite way, prejudiced by virtue of the action of the court, and assigns the same as ground for reversal. We perceive no merit in the contention. Defendant was entitled to be tried by a lawful jury, and since, as shown, he did not exhaust all of his peremptory e challenges, we must assume that in this respect he was accorded every right to which he was entitled. If a juror not possessing the requisite qualifications is allowed to sit against the objections of a defendant, it constitutes ground for reversal, but he is in no position to complain, either because the court erroneously rejects a juror challenged for cause or, acting on its own motion, excuses a juror without just cause. In People v. Arceo, 32 Cal. 40, it is said: “Thus, it appears, in many instances, parties not positively disqualified under the law, yet, in fact, not qualified or fitted to discharge the duties of jurors in the given case, and in some cases where there was really no sort of objection, courts have discharged them in the exercise of their discretion, and their action has been affirmed on appeal.’’ In discussing a like point, where the court of its own motion discharged an entire panel of twelve jurors, the court, in People v. Murray, 85 Cal. 350, [24 Pac. 666], said: “The court had the undoubted right to discharge them, or any of them, at any time, without giving any reason for such discharge, and without the existence of any reason. The only difficulty apparent in this case is, that the jurors were discharged for what might under some circumstances be an insufficient reason. But- as no reason was necessary, the fact that an insufficient one was assigned as the ground of the order can make no difference. ’ ’ *551 To the same effect is People v. Searcey, 121 Cal. 3, [41 L. R. A. 157, 53 Pac. 359]. Since- defendant had no vested right to have the excused jurors sit in the trial of his case (Asevado v. Orr, 100 Cal. 300, [34 Pac. 777]), and it appearing without question, that defendant was tried by twelve competent, fair, and qualified jurors, he is in no position to complain that the court, acting within its discretion, rejected the two jurors. Conceding no cause existed for such action, the effect thereof is precisely the same as though the court had granted a challenge for insufficient cause.
While appellant claims the evidence is insufficient to justify the verdict, his counsel directs our attention to facts and circumstances, clearly established by the testimony of witnesses for the state, from which it would seem impossible for impartial and rational-minded men to arrive at any conclusion other than that expressed by the jury in the verdict rendered; indeed, instead of = the evidence being weak and unsatisfactory, as suggested by appellant, it would, in our opinion, be difficult to conceive of a stronger chain of incriminating circumstances than that presented by the evidence.
Many of the court’s rulings in admitting and rejecting testimony are assigned as error. As to some of these, even though the alleged errors in the ruling were conceded, no possible prejudice could, in view of the conclusive character of the evidence, have resulted from the rulings.
There are other alleged errors, including the action of the district attorney in discussing the evidence, none of which, however, other than- those discussed, requires any consideration. In most eases they are puerile and absolutely without merit; indeed, the record taken as a whole is, in our opinion, free from any prejudicial error and the character of the evidence such as to leave no doubt whatsoever as to the defendant’s guilt.
The judgment and order are affirmed.
Conrey, P. J., and James, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The PEOPLE, Respondent, v. LEWIS B. HARRIS, Appellant
- Cited By
- 17 cases
- Status
- Published