People v. Douglass
People v. Douglass
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was convicted of the crime of assault with a deadly weapon. This appeal is by him from the judgment, and an order denying his motion for a new trial.
Several points are presented and argued on behalf of appellant, which we will proceed to consider.
The defendant-was accused, by the information, of assault with a deadly wrnapon, and of a prior conviction of a felony, viz., manslaughter. On his arraignment he pleaded guilty to the prior conviction of manslaughter, and not guilty as to the charge of assault with a deadly weapon. When the jury had been impaneled and sworn, it is stated, in the minutes of the trial, that “ the infor
It is urged on behalf of defendant that it was error to read the information to the jury. The counsel for defendant construes the statement above quoted as a statement that the whole information was-read, including both charges made in it, to one of which, as above stated, defendant had pleaded guilty. We do not so construe the statement taken from the minutes of the trial. We understand it as a statement that the charge .in the information as to the assault only was read. It would be entirely unnecessary to read that portion of it in which the prior conviction, to which he had pleaded guilt}', was set forth. At any rate, it does not clearly appear that the whole information was read. If it was read, it was done in the presence of defendant and his counsel, and no objection was made to it. Further, the record show's distinctly that the charge as to the assault only was submitted to and passed on by the jury.
The verdict is in accordance with law (Pen. Code, sec. 1151), and is free from uncertainty. (See People v. McCarty, 48 Cal. 559.) The same is true of the judgment. (See In the Matter of Ring, 28 Cal. 248.) The judgment as entered states the crime of which the defendant had been convicted, and the sentence of the court. This is all that is required by law. There is no uncertainty-in these statements.
It is argued that there is a fatal variance between the information and the proof, inasmuch as the information sets forth that the assault was made on Daniel Auseon, and the proof is, that it was made on Daniel Auseon.
The court, in its charge, told the jury that the defendant is accused of the crime of an assault on Daniel Auseon. The only accusation in this case is that set forth in the information. The direction of the court to the jury is as to what is contained in the information. Whether the question as to what is contained in the
We have considered the points in regard to the directions given by the court below, and the refusal, by the court, of the requests to direct the jury, made by defendant, and find no error in them.
There is no presumption of law or fact that a person found anywhere on the passenger train of a railway is a passenger. Such a presumption is opposed to all principle. If a person is found in or on a passenger-car on a train for carrying passengers, such a fact will justify the conclusion prima facie that he is a passenger; but if seen to go on the platform of a mail-car, or of some other car not run for the accommodation or use of passengers, no such conclusion as that he was a passenger could be legitimately drawn. The rule seems to be laid down with a significant limitation in Louisville etc. R’y Co. v. Thompson, 9 N. E. Rep. 857, cited and relied on by defendant. The rule as there stated is, that “a person on a train used for carrying passengers is, in the absence of
" Another point made is, that the court erred in telling the jury that the defendant, a trespasser on the train, was not justified in using his pistol and shooting, if the train was running at a rate \ f speed when he (the defendant) could with safety get off of it or descend from it. We cannot concur in this view. If wrongly on the train, no law would justify him in shooting, when he could with safety get off it and avoid the shooting. It was his duty to get off when told to do so. If he did not, he could not urge it as a defense rendering the shooting justifiable, if he could have gotten away from the train with safety to himself. This is too plain to require argument to establish it. The statement of the proposition is a refutation of it.
We are of opinion that the court fairly put the case to the jury in its directions, and refused no request which it was not proper in law to refuse.
The point as to the term of punishment is not well taken. By fhe provisions of subdivision 2, section 266, of the Penal Code, if the subsequent offense of which a person is convicted is such that upon a first conviction he could be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for any term less than five years, then on such subsequent conviction he can be punished by imprison
After an examination of all the points made and discussed, we are of opinion that there is no error disclosed by the record, and that the judgment and order should he and are affirmed.
McFarland, J., and Sharpstein, J., concurred.
Hearing in Bank denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. PERCY DOUGLASS
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Criminal Law — Assault with Deadly Weapon — Trior Conviction of Felony — Pleading — Reading of Information — Construction of Minutes of Trial. — A statement in the minutes of the trial of a defendant accused of an assault with a deadly weapon and of a prior conviction of a felony, who had pleaded not guilty to the former charge and guilty to the latter, that “ the information is read and the plea of not guilty stated to the jury by the clerk, ” should he construed as a statement that the charge in the information as to the assault only was read, where it does not clearly appear that the whole information was read, and it appearing, from the record, that what was read was in the presence of the defendant, and not objected to, and that the charge as to the assault only was submitted to and passed on by the jury. Id.—Form of Verdict — General Statement of Offense.—A verdict in general terms finding the defendant guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon, under an information charging that the assault was made upon a person named, is in accordance with law, and free from uncertainty. Id.—Form of Judgment—General Recital of Conviction.—The judgment is not rendered insufficient or uncertain by merely reciting that the defendant answered and confessed to a previous conviction of manslaughter, and was convicted in the court of the crime of assault with a deadly weapon, without further statement of particulars. Id. — Misnomer of Person Assaulted. —Whether in the information the name of the person assaulted was written therein “ Daniel Auseon ” or “Daniel Anseon,” was for the trial court to determine, and the trial court having directed the jury that the name written in the information was Daniel Auseon, this court will not revise the action of such court in so holding. Id.—Assault upon Brakeman of Railroad Tp.ain — Trespass—Question of Fact. — Where the assault was committed upon the brakeman of a railroad company in his efforts to get the defendant off the train, and there is evidence tending to show that the defendant was not a passenger on the train, but a trespasser thereon, it is a question of fact for the jury whether the defendant was a trespasser or a passenger. Id. — Presumption — Passenger — Trespasser upon Train. — A person on a car used for carrying passengers is presumed to be a passenger, and rightfully there, but this presumption may he rebutted; and no presumption of law or fact arises where the person is found on a car not used for the accommodation of passengers, and it is for the jury to determine whether such person is a passenger or trespasser upon the train. Id. —Justification of Assault. — A trespasser on a train is not justified in shooting a servant of the railroad company who attempts to put him off, when he can with safety get off and avoid the shooting. Id.—Punishment of Offense—Previous Conviction of Manslaughter. — An assault with a deadly weapon being punishable upon a first conviction by imprisonment in the state prison for a period of two years, it may be punished under section 260 of the Penal Code by imprisonment therein for any term not exceeding ten years, where there has been a prior conviction of manslaughter.