Roberson v. State
Roberson v. State
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff in error was convicted of the murder of Charles M. Sadler and sued out writ of error from the sentence of the court.
The ruling of the court denying an application for a change of venue is assigned as error. This application was presented by a petition signed by the accused and stating that he feared he could not obtain a fair and impartial trial in the county on account of the inhabitants therein being prejudiced against him, and certain facts are stated upon which such fears were based. It is stated that the day after the killing of Sadler and the wounding of another who subsequently died, the newspapers in Jacksonville having a large circulation throughout the county published what was alleged as the facts connecting petitioner with the killing and wounding, and that day after day thereafter such publitions continued and so prejudiced the inhabitants of the county that a fair trial could not be had. The petition further states that petitioner’s reasons for such belief were based upon expressions of many prominent citizens'published in an issue of a named paper, and the alleged expressions of four persons are set out in the petition. It is also stated that a page of 'the paper published on a given date was filed with and prayed to be taken as a part of the petition, and the comment of the paper on the expression of citizens as given in the petition, is as follows, vis: “ It will thus be seen that the general opinion prevails all over the city that a speedy trial of
Another error assigned and insisted on is that the court erred in denying the motion in arrest of judgment, on the ground that the indictment fails to show upon what part of the body of the deceased the mortal wound was inflicted. The bill of exceptions recites that such motion was made and overruled, but the record proper is silent as to such motion. As the motion in arrest of judgment is based upon an alleged defect in the indictment — a part of the record proper in the case — it should not appear in the bill of exceptions but in the record proper. The contention is that the indictment is fatally defective on account of the alleged defect. This is a mistake. The indictment in the usual form alleges that the accused assaulted Sadler, the deceased, and proceeds as follows, vis: “the said Frank Roberson, a certain pistol then and there being charged,with gunpowder and divers leaden bullets, which he, the said Frank Rob
It is further assigned as error that the court gave instruction number 8, as follows, viz: “Sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and constables are not only authorized to arrest public offenders without warrant, but are required to do so, for all offences committed in the presence of" an officer.” This instruction, it will be observed, asserts-that the officers named therein are authorized and required to arrest without warrant for all offences committed in. the presence of an officer. It does not require that the offence shall be committed in the presence of"
In Wharton’s Crim. Pl. & Pr. section 8, it is stated that “sheriffs, constables, officers of the police, are not only authorized to arrest public offenders without warrant, but are required to do so, if there be reasonable
The evidence does not show that the accused had committed any felony before the deceased attempted to arrest him, and without intimating that it was not shown that he, just before the attempt to arrest, committed an offence for which he could be arrested without warrant, if committed in the presence or view of the officer, we call attention to^ the fact that the testimony leaves it in doubt as to whether such was the case. The surrounding circumstances as to distances, places, or even daylight or darkness, are not so given as to leave it free from doubt that what the accused did was in the presence or view of the deceased who was attempting to make the arrest at the time he was shot and killed.
Assignments of error are based upon the refusal of the court to give charges numbered 1, 2, 4, and 5 requested by the accused. The bill of exceptions shows that the court refused to give for the accused four distinct propositions of law, numbered 1, 2, 4 and 5 respectively, and a general exception was taken to the refusal to give the charges as a whole. The first proposition requested is that if the jury “find from the testimony that the defendant was in the physical custody of Sadler and Jenkins, or either of them, and that he by physical exertion broke away from such physical custody, and then and there fired the shot that killed the deceased, Sadler, you will not be justified in finding the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree.” We assume that the purpose of the charge was to avail the ac
There was also another charge requested by the accused that was correctly refused, to the effect that a sheriff and his deputies have no right to make an arrest of any person without lawful warrant, except the person has committed a felony or is engaged at the time in a riot or unlawful assembly, or is about to commit a felony. The charge excludes the idea that the officer may arrest without warrant for any misdemeanor tending to a breach of the peace when committed in view of the officer making the arrest. Authorities, supra.
Under our rule of practice, we need not consider the other charges refused, as the exception to them was as an entirety, and one incorrect one, defeats the exception. Brown v. State, decided at this term.
For the error of .the court in giving charge number 8, the judgment will be reversed and a new trial awarded. So ordered .
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Frank Roberson, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. When an application for a change of venue, based upon the gorund of prejudice against the accused in the county where the trial is had, is supported only by .the affidavit of the accused, the refusal of the trial court to, grant it will not be reversed in the absence of any showing that the decision was not based upon the insufficiency of the proof of the facts alleged in the affidavit, and it does not appear that the accused was prevented from getting corroborative evidence by hostile public sentiment. 2. A motion in arrest of judgment on the ground of a defect in the indictment should be exhibited in the record proper, and not in the bill of exceptions. 3. An indictment alleging the infliction of a mortal wound upon the body of the deceased is sufficient without stating upon what particular part of the body the wound was inflicted. 4. The court instructed 'the jury that “sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and constables are not only authorized to arrest public offenders without warrant, but are required to do so, for all offences, committed in the presence of an officer.” Held, to be erroneous as not correctly stating the law on the subject. 5. The court refused an instruction for the defendant to the effect that a sheriff and his deputies have no right to make an arrest of any person without lawful warrant, except the person has committed a felony or is engaged at the time in a riot or unlawful assembly, or is about to commit a felony: Held, that the refusal was correct because of the failure of the instruction to include the idea that the officer may arrest without warrant for any misdemeanor tending to a breach of the peace when committed in view of the officer making the arrest. 6. When a general exception is taken to the refusal of the court to give several charges asserting separate distinct propositions of law, and any one of the charges is wrong, the exception will be disallowed.