People v. Koening
People v. Koening
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was convicted of the crime of grand larceny, committed at Oroville, county of Butte, July 8, 1892. He moved for a new trial which was denied, and thereupon he appeals. He was convicted as an accomplice of one Sarah Brady, who admits that she committed the offense, and the only question calling for discussion relates to the sufficiency of the evidence in corroboration of said Brady.
The testimony tended to show that on the 3d of July, 1892, defendant engaged to one Klein to tend bar for the latter in place of his regular bar-tender, who was ill. Defendant and Sarah Brady were acquainted and had lived together more or less for a year or two. Chris Gilmer was accustomed to visit the saloon of Klein and at times slept there. On the afternoon of July 7th Sarah Brady visited the saloon, met Gilmer there, and
On the part of defendant there was testimony tending to show that he did not sleep in the saloon on the evening in question, but that he left before the proprietor who locked up the place, and that defendant had no key thereto so far as he (the proprietor) knew. There was also evidence as to defendant’s previous good character for honesty, by many apparently reliable witnesses.
Defendant was a witness in his own behalf and declared he left the saloon before the proprietor, that he had no key, and that when he returned in the morning the saloon had been opened by Ed., the old barkeeper. He denied that the Brady woman was his mistress, admitted he had been at her house some times, and accounted for his inquiry at the jail by saying he was acquainted with her, had heard she was arrested, and desired to know what she was arrested for.
This testimony was not sufficient to warrant a conviction. Sarah Brady was confessedly the perpetrator of the felony. The testimony as to defendant’s complicity all came from her. “A conviction cannot be had on the testimony of an accomplice, unless he is corroborated by other evidence,«which, in itself, and
It is the peculiar province of the jury to weigh the evidence and determine the credibility of witnesses, and this court will not, in case of a substantial conflict in the evidence, disturb the verdict of the jury. So in case of the corroboration of an accomplice, if there is any substantial evidence in support of a satisfactory case made by the accomplice, the court will not trench upon the province of the jury by reversing its action.
In the present instance, however, the figment of evidence in support of the testimony of the accomplice does not rise to the dignity of corroboration, and the judgment and order appealed from should be reversed, and a new trial ordered.
Belcher, C., and Vanclief, C., concurred.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion, the judgment and order appealed from are reversed, and a new trial ordered.
De Haves, J,, McFarland, J., Fitzgerald, J.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. FRED KOENING
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Criminal Law—Evidence of Accomplice—Insufficient Corroboration—Suspicion of Guilt. — Uncler section 1111 of the Penal Code, the corroboration of the evidence of an accomplice must be by other evidence, which in itself, and without the aid of the testimony of the accomplice, tends to connect the defendant with the commission of the act, and testimony which at most only raises a bare suspicion of the defendant’s guilt falls short of such corroboration as can be relied upon to support a conviction. Id. — Grand Larceny—Testimony of Principal Thief — Conviction not Warranted. — When a defendant accused of grand larceny was convicted upon the testimony of a woman with whom he had lived, who admitted that she committed the larceny in person and testified that she was urged to do it by the defendant and paid the money over to him, without other evidence as to his complicity, except a request from him to the sheriff to see her after her arrest, and declarations by him that the sheriff had the wrong woman, and that he did not know or have anything to do with her, such figment of evidence in support of her testimony does not rise to the dignity of corroboration, and cannot warrant a conviction of the defendant.