People v. Woodruff
People v. Woodruff
Opinion of the Court
John Woodruff was convicted of the crime of embezzlement, and appeals from the judgment and an order denying his motion for a new trial. The only ground presented for reversal is that the court erred in overruling his
One of the grounds for a new trial, and the only one discussed, is that of newly discovered evidence. The trial was concluded on January 12, 1898. Six affidavits, besides those of the defendant, containing a statement of newly discovered evidence, were filed, and used in support of defendant's motion for a new trial. Except as hereafter noticed, these affidavits contained matters which were merely cumulative of the evidence touching the existence or absence of a beard. The only new fact in the affidavit of Janie Flint was to the effect that on the evening of July 9th Samuel Woodruff told her that he had been down to Long Beach, and had driven up from there to Los Angeles. She was examined as a witness for the defendant, and, judging from her interest in the defendant’s case manifested in her testimony, it is remarkable that she should have failed to communicate this alleged fact to him or his counsel. The affidavit of Walter S. Humbert was to the effect that he was acquainted with both John and Samuel Woodruff prior to July, 1897; that on July 8th, about 5 o’clock P. M., he saw Samuel on Los Angeles street, near Third, driving a span of horses, one gray and one sorrel; that the team appeared tired and dusty, and that the defendant was not with him, and that he did not see them together that day; that he did not know of the arrest and trial of defendant until after his conviction, when he learned of it through the newspapers. Here we have a man passing along a busy street in the heart of a city of one hundred thousand inhabitants, with nothing to specially call his attention to the circumstance, who seven months afterward can describe the team and wagon driven by a man whom he has known a few months, and, more wonderful still, is willing to swear positively that it was on the eighth day of July, about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The affidavit of Charles A. Woodruff was to the effect that on January 3, 1898 (about eight days before the trial began), Samuel Woodruff told him it was he, and not the defendant, who took the team from Fetterman’s stable, and that defendant was innocent, and that he (affiant) did not tell anybody of said conversation until after defendant’s conviction. If said deponent believed said statement alleged to have been made by Samuel Woodruff, and failed to
I advise that the judgment and order appealed from be affirmed.
We concur: Cooper, C.; Gray, C.
For the reason given in the foregoing opinion the judgment and order appealed from are affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PEOPLE v. WOODRUFF
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Embezzlement—New Trial—Identity of Defendant.—Defendant was convicted of embezzlement, his identity being established by four witnesses, three of whom testified that he had a beard of about two weeks’ growth at the time of the crime. Defendant asked a new trial, based on newly discovered evidence, tending to show that he had no beard, and filed several affidavits. In one of these affiant stated that another told him before the trial that he had committed the crime. Affiant did not make this alleged fact known until after defendant’s conviction. This affidavit also seriously contradicted statements made upon defendant’s preliminary examination. Held, that the affidavits contained nothing which rendered it probable that on a retrial of the case a different result would be reached.