Long v. State
Long v. State
Opinion of the Court
On September 11, 1899, in the Criminal Court of Record of Orange county, an information was filed against plaintiffs in error and Preston Long and Ligé Sweet, containing four counts. The first charged that all of said parties “in and upon the land of E. F. Sperry, to-wit: a pinery located on the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section two, township twenty-three, south, range twenty-nine, east, did unlawfully and wilfully enter and wilfully commit a trespass by taking and carrying away therefrom two' hundred and seventy-four pineapple plants, the same being a parcel of the realty, of the value of twenty-five cents each, and of the total value of sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents, of the
The second charged that James Long, Gettis Long, Julius Ott and Lige Sweet “in and upon the land of E F. Sperry, to-wit: a pinery located on the northeast quarter .of the northwest quarter of section two, township twenty-three, south, range twenty-nine, east, did unlawfully and wilfully commit a trespass by taking and carrying' away therefrom two hundred and seventy-four pineapple plants, the same being a part of the realty, of the value of twenty-five cents each, and of the total value of sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents, of the property of the said E. F.'Sperry, and that before.the commission of the said trespass and felony, Preston Long, late of the county aforesaid, laborer, on the 15th day of July, A. D. 1899, at and in the county of Orange, State of Florida, aforesaid, did feloniously counsel, aid, incite and procure the said James Long, Gettis Long, Julius Ott and Lige Sweet to commit in manner and form aforesaid the said trespass and felony against the form,” &c.
The third charged all the defendants with larceny of two hundred and seventy-four pineapple plants, of the value of twenty-five cents each, the property of E. F. Sperry.
The fourth charged James Long, Gettis Long, Julius Ott and Lige Sweet with larceny of two hundred and seventy-four pineapple plants of the value of twenty-five cents each, the property of E. F. Sperry, and charged Preston Long with being an accessory before the fact of such larceny. Each count alleged that the offence was committed in Orange-county on July ty. 1899.
The assignment of errors embraces forty-two grounds. As we reverse the judgment and direct a new trial, we shall consider only such of the alleged errors as we de,em material in view of the new trial.
A motion to- quash and also a motion in arrest of judgment were made and overruled, and these rulings are assigned as error. Under these motions it was insisted, first, that the first and second counts fail to charge an offence under the laws of Florida; fail to state all the facts and circumstances which constitute the offence described in section 2516 Revised Statutes; fail to- allege that defendants severed the pineapple plants from the realty; fail to allege that.the trespass was committed without the consent of the owner or owners of the land described in the information, and fail to- state in what part of the land described the pinery was situated. It was also insisted that the description of the land trespassed upon is vague and indefinite, and that the act of 1897 repeals section 2516 Revised Statutes. Second, that two distinct issues are presented by the information; one embraced in the first and second counts, the other in the third and fourth. Third, that there is no-such offence in law as larceny of chattels’ being part of the realty, and that under section 2516 Revised
- The first and second counts are based upon section 2516 Revised Statutes, which reads, “whoever wilfully commits a trespass by cutting, scraping, injuring or destroying' timber or wood standing or growing on the land of another, or by carrying away any kind of timber or wood, cut down or lying on such land, or by digging or carrying away any stone, ore, gravel, clay, sand, turf or mould from such land, or by carrying away anything which is parcel of the realty, shall be punished as if he had stolen personal property of the same value.” Section 2517, as amended by Chapter 4531, act of 1897, which we are asked to consider, reads as follows: “Whoever takes and carries away from any farm, garden, orchard, orange or lemon grove, or destroys any farm products, vegetables, fruits or flowers, corn or cotton from the stalk, or from any vineyard any grapes of any money value, without the consent of the owner or manager shall be punished,” &c. The only difference between the original section and the amendment is that the latter reduces the offence from a felony to a misdemeanor, and uses the word “stalk” instead of “stock” .as in the original section.
1. We are of opinion that the first and second counts are good as against the objections presented under the first head. The allegations follow substantially the language of the statute, and we have held that this is sufficient. Tufts v. State, 41 Fla. -, 27 South.
Section 2893 Revised Statutes provides that no indictment shall be quashed or judgment be arrested or new trials granted on account of any defect in the form of the indictment or of misjoinder of offences or for any cause whatsoever unless the court shall be of opinion that the indictment is so vague, indistinct and indefinite as to mislead the accused and embarrass him in the preparation of his defence or expose him after conviction or acquittal to substantial danger of a new prosecution for the same offence. This statute covers the objections urged under the second head. Green v. State, 17 Fla. 669; Eggart v. State, 40 Fla. 527, 25 South. Rep. 144. See, also, Pointer v. United States, 151 U. S. 396, 14 Sup. Ct. Rep. 410. Counsel have not suggested to us how the defendants could have been misled or embarassed in the preparation, of their defence. The of-fences charged are of the same grade, both felonies, and subject to the same punishment. The third and fourth counts were evidently inserted upon the theory that if the proof failed to sutsain the allegation that the pineapple plants were when taken and carried away a part of the realty that the defendants might be convicted of larceny, because no. evidence of larceny, distinct from the evidence of the trespass, and carrying' away, was attempted to be introduced. We do. not say that the State’s theory would have supported the charge of larceny, but we see nothing in the case which justifies us in sayings that the court erred in refusing to. quash the information on the graunds stated.
II. Several assignments, of error are based upon rulings denying motions, to strike testimony given by
III. The other assignments of error which we deem it essential to pass upon relate to rulings refusing instructions requested by defendants.
1. Instrutions numbers 2, 3, 4 and 11 refused are framed upon the theory that Sperry was not sole owner of the pinery and pineapple plants as alleged in the information. There is no evidence to support this theory. Sperry testified that the title and management were in him, and that Smith and Johnson were only interested in the profits. There was no other testimony upon the subject. The general charge of the. court and instructions numbers Land 10 given in behalf of defendants fully covered every proposition embraced in these refused instructions which were applicable to a several ownership in Sperry, which was the only kind 'of ownership proven in evidence.
2. Instructions numbers 5 and 8 were properly refused, because in substance they are covered by the general charge and by instructions numbers 1 and 10 given on behalf of defendants.
3. Instruction number 7 refused is as follows: “To authorize the conviction of any one of the accused on the second count of the indictment it must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that James Long, Gettis Long, Julius Ott and Lige Sweet actually and in person entered upon the land of Sperry: and that they entered
4. Instructions numbers 12, 14, 21 and 40 were properly refused because in substance they are covered by the general charge and by. instructions numbers 16, 17 and 19 given on behalf of defendants. The definition of reasonable doubt, given in the general charge, and instructions 16, 17 and 19, given on behalf of defendants as to circumstantial evidence, were in form and substance such as have been often approved by this court. The, court was jutsified in confining itself to forms of expression upon those subjects which have been so often approved in this State, instead of framing or adopting new forms of expression, which, no matter how worded, if they asserted correct principles, would mean the same thing.
5. The eighteenth instruction, to the effect that in a case of circumstantial evidence where the criminative
6. 'The tweny-second instruction refused is as foldows: “Where defendants charged with the offence set forth in this information give a natural and reasonable explanation of their possession of'the property alleged to be taken, it then develops (devolves) upon the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that such explanation is false; and if such explanation be not shown by the State to be false beyond a reasonable doubt, it is your duty to acquit the accused.” This instruction is evidently borrowed from the law relating to the presumption of guilt permitted to be drawn from the fact of possession of property recently stolen, in larceny cases. We are not sure that this presumption is applicable to cases of trespass upon realty, but assuming that it is we are of opinion that the instruction was erroneous, and therefore properly refused. In order to put the burden upon the State of showing that the explanation is false, the explanation must be credible. It is not sufficient that it be natural and reasonable. Leslie v. State, 35 Fla. 171, 17 South. Rep. 555; Bellamy v. State, 35 Fla. 242, 17 South. Rep. 560. There are other defects in this instruction which will readily occur by reading it in connection with the cases cited.
7. The twenty-third, thirtieth and thirty-first instructions were properly refused, because, in substance,
8. The twenty-sixth instruction we think fully covered by the charge and instructions given by the court, and it was therefore properly refused.
9. The twenty-seventh instruction was properly refused. It contains a statement to the effect that 'it is not sufficient proof of identification to show that the property found in the possession of a person accused of a crime is of the same kind as that which has been lost or of the same kind as other property lost by another person. This instruction igpores the effect of other evidence in the case tending to identify the plants which Sperry claims to have found in the barn as the identical plants that came from his and the Gooding pineries. He testified positively that he recognized the plants, and mentioned certain pecularities which he said enabled him to identify them. This testimony was wholly ig~ nored by this instruction which goes upon the theory that the only evidence of identification was that the plants found were of the same kind as those which had been lost. Mims v. State, 42 Fla.-, 27 South. Rep. 865.
10. The twenty-eighth instruction refused was as follows: “The fact that you believe from the. evidence that some of the pineapple plants produced in evidence were taken from Sperry’s land is not sufficient. The identical pineapple plants taken from the land of Sperry as charged in the information must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and before you can convict of an of-fence punishable as grand larceny, enough of the pineapple plants taken from Sperry’s land must be identified and proved beyond a reasonable doubt as of the value of $20 or over.” We are of opinion that it was properly re
11. The thirty-second instruction refused contains this proposition: “You can not convict the accused on the information as it stands, unless a sufficient number of the pineapple plants charged to have been taken from Sperry’s land are identified beyond a reasonable doubt to be of the value of $20 or over.” The statute (section 2516 Revised Statutes) defines the offence and prescribes that the party committing it shall be punished as if he had stolen personal property of the same value. The information- charged the value of the property to be $68.50. If this value was proven, it would subject the
12. Instructions numbers 33, 34, 35 and 36 refused were upon the subject of alibi. The thirty-fifth reads as follows: "It is not necessary that the defendants shall prove an alibi beyond a reasonable; doubt. It is sufficient if the evidence offered to- prove an alibi raises a reasonable doubt in your minds whether or not the accused were at the secene of the crime and participated therein. In such case it is your duty to acquit the accused.” This instruction, correctly states the law as held by this court in Adams v. State, 28 Fla. 511, 10 South. Rep. 106, and we think the failure to give it constitutes reversible error. The defence interposed by the defendants was an alibi, and they introduced evidence tending to prove it. It was the right of the defendants to have the jury instructed that they were not required to prove their defence beyond a reasonable doubt, but that if the evidence on that subject was sufficient to raise
13. The thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth instructions refused are based upon the theory that the plants alleged to have been taken possessed a market value or price. All the witnesses as 'o value testified that the plants were of some money value, but all of them agreed that plants of that character were seldom on the market, and that these plants had no market value, and that they were of special value to one who had them out in beds and in the condition they were alleged to have been when taken. Under this state of the evidence the court was not required to give charges relating to the supposed market value of the plants.
14. The forty-fourth instruction refused is as follows : “Before you can convict the accused of the severing', taking and carrying away of the pineapple plants charged in the information, it must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they took them for the purpose of converting them into their own use. To constitute the offence charged an intention upon the part of the
The instruction was properly refused.
15. The thirteenth instruction refused is as follows: “The legal presumption of innocence attaches to the defendant at every stage of the trial, and this legal presumption must be regarded by you as a matter of evidence to the benefit of which the accused are entitled, and as a matter of evidence this presumption attends the accused until their guilt is by the evidence established beyond a reasonable doubt.” We shall not at this time approve or disapprove this instruction, as the judgment is reversed upon other grounds. There can be no doubt that an accused person is presumed to be innocent until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and that he has a right to have the jury so instructed (Reeves v. State, 29 Fla. 527, 10 South. Rep. 901), but whether this presumption is to’ be regarded as a matter of evidence or not, we do not deem it necessary in this case to determine. Upon another trial the court can instruct the jury as was done in Wooten v. State, 24 Fla. 335, 5 South. Rep. 39, that the law presumes every man innocent until he is proven guilty by proper legal evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, which, in connection with the charge-given in this case on reasonable doubt,
For the error pointed out, the judgment is reversed and a new trial granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- James Long, Gettis Long and Julius Ott, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. An indictment under section 2516 Revised Statutes need not allege that defendant severed from the realty, the property alleged to have been carried away; nor that the trespass was committed without the consent of the owner of the land where it is charged that it was willfully committed, and a description of the realty trespassed upon as “the land of E- F. S-, to-wit; a pinery located on the northeast quarter of the northwest quar- , ter of section two, township twenty-three, south, range twenty-nine, east,” is sufficiently definite. 2. Pineapple plants growing in the soil are parcel of the realty within the meaning of section 2516 Revised Statutes and not farm products or fruit within the meaning of section 2517 Revised Statutes, as amended by Chapter 4531; act of 1897. 3. Under Section 2893 Revised Statutes it is not error to refuse to quash an information upon the ground that it charges several distinct felonies in separate counts, unless such information is so vague, indistinct and indefinite as to mislead the accused, 'embarrass him in the preparation of his defence, or expose him after conviction or acquittal to substantial danger of a new prosecution for the same offence. 4. Proof that the title to and management of a pinery alleged to have been trespassed upon were in the person alleged in the information, is sufficient to sustain the allegation as to ownership, even though the proof shows further that other persons were interested in the profits of the pinery. 5. In order to convict one accused of wilfully committing a trespass upon realty by taking and carrying away therefrom pineapple plants parcel of the realty the proof must show that thg particular plants alleged to have been taken were in fact taken, but it is not necessary that the particular plants be produced before the jury, or if produced along with others of the same character and variety, that witnesses should be able to separate the identical plants taken from the others, nor should the testimony of a witness tending to show that the identical plants taken are part of a mass of plants of like variety and character produced before the jury be excluded because such witness is unable to separate from the general mass the identical plants taken. 6. 'Instructions based upon a theory not sustained by the evidence, or which are substantially covered by other instructions given by the court, are properly refused. 7. Where two or more persons are charged under section 2516 Revised Statutes with wilfully committing a trespass by carrying away something which is parcel of the realty, the offence is joint and several and any one or more of the accused may be found guilty if the evidence justifies it, even though the others are not proven to have been connected in any manner with the commission of the offence. 8. An instruction to the effect that in a case of circumstantial evidence where the criminative circumstances are either denied by the defendants or are explained in such a way as to render their guilt doubtful, it is the duty of the jury to acquit the accused, is erroneous and ought to be refused. 9. An instruction that where defendants charged with criminal trespass upon realty give a natural and reasonable explanation of their possession of the property alleged to have been taken, it then devolves upon the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that such explanation is false, and if such explanation be not shown by the state to be false beyond a reasonable doubt, it is the duty of the jury to acquit the accused, is erroneous and ought to be refused. 10. It is proper to refuse instructions as misleading when they are based on the theory of a party as to facts in evidence and ignore the effect of other facts applicable to the relation and 'rights of the parties. 11. Upon the trial of an information based on section 2516 Revised Statutes, for wilfull trespass upon another’s land by carrying away something which is parcel of the realty, alleered to be of a value exceeding twenty dollars, the defendant may be found guilty even though the value of the property carried away be shown to be less than twenty dollars; but, in that case, the verdict should state the exact value of the property, or that its value is less than twenty dollars, in order that the court may impose the penalty prescribed for the offence where the value 'of the property does not exceed twenty dollars. 12. Where the defence interposed in a criminal case is an alibi, and evidence tending to prove it is introduced and the court in its instructions makes no reference to the defence of alibi, it is error to refuse an instruction to the effect that it is not necessary that the defendants shall prove an alibi beyond a reasonable doubt; that .it is sufficient if the evidence offered to prove it raises a reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury whether or not the accused was at the scene of the crime and participated therein and that in such cases it is the duty of the jury to acquit the accused. 13. Upon the trial of an information drawn under section 2516 Revised Statutes for wilful trespass upon the land of another by carrying away pineapple plants, parcel of the realty, an instruction that before the jury can convict the accused of severing, taking and carrying awav the pineapple plants charged in the information, it must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they took them for the purpose of converting them to their own use; that to constitute the offence charged an intention upon the part of the defendants to benefit or gain by the taking is essential, and the accused cannot be convicted unless such intention is proved beyond a reasonable doubt, is erroneous and ought to be refused. 14. An accused person on trial for an offence is presumed to be innocent until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and he has a right to have the jury so instructed.