Brown v. State
Brown v. State
Opinion of the Court
Preston Brown was convicted of an assault with an intent to commit murder under an indictment which charged Rufus Daniels as principal in the first degree, and Preston Brown as principal in the second degree.
Omitting the formal parts of the indictment it charges that “Rufus Daniels, on the 8th day of September, A. D. 1920, at and in the County of DeSoto aforesaid, unlawfully, and from a premeditated design to effect the death
“And the grand jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do further present that Preston Brown, late of the County of DeSoto aforesaid, in the county and state aforesaid, was then and there at the time and place of the commission of the felony aforesaid, feloniously present, and did then and there unlawfully, feloniously counsel, aid, incite, abet and procure the said Rufus Daniels the felony in the manner and form and by the means aforesaid, then and there to do and commit. And so the grand jurors aforesaid, under their oaths aforesaid, do say that the said Rufus Daniels and Preston Brown, in the manner and form aforesaid, unlawfully, feloniously, did then and there commit an assault, with intent to commit murder on the said J. L. Dishong, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.1 ’
This indictment was sufficient to charge Preston Brown with the offense of assault upon J. L. Dishong with the intent to commit the felony of murder. Rufus Daniels was charged as principal in the first degree, but Preston Brown was charged as principal in the- second degree. See Everett v. State, 33 Fla. 661, 15 South. Rep. 543; Myers
The objection to the verdict that it finds the defendant guilty of no offense because it found him guilty as principal in the second degree of an assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree is without merit. A principal in the second degree may be convicted as principal in the first degree. See Bryan v. State, 19 Fla. 864; Albritton v. State, 32 Fla. 358, 13 South. Rep. 955; Buie v. State, 68 Fla. 320, 67 South. Rep. 102.
The failure of the State to prove that Rufus Daniels actually fired the shot would not affect the verdict against Preston Brown if the evidence was sufficient to show that he fired the shot because the offense charged against both of them is the same. Albritton v. State, supra.
The ninth and tenth assignments of error attack that portion of the court’s charge in which the judge used the following language: “Gentlemen of the jury: This is a case of the State of Florida against Preston Brown, charged
It is contended by counsel for plaintiff in error that the verdict was contrary to the charge of the court. The point being that the court confused the names of Rufus Daniels and Preston Brown in such unclear and involved language that it is difficult, even impossible to determine from the verdict to which defendant the jury had reference. We think this criticism entirely unwarranted and we find nothing in the charge of the court to justify it.
The indictment charged Rufus Daniels with the offense
Having discovered no error in the record the judgment of the court is hereby affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Preston Brown, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. An indictment which charges one person with an assault upon another with intent to commit a felony and a third person as being present at the time of the commission of the felony, aiding and abetting in its commission, charges such third person also with the offense of assault with intent to commit a felony. The distinction being that such third per- ■ son is charged as principal in the second degree while the principal offender is charged as principal in the first degree. 2. It is not essential that a verdict of assault with intent to commit murder shall state the degree of murder. 3. A person charged as principal in the second degree to an assault with intent to commit a felony may be convicted as principal in the first degree. 4. A charge to the jury which is not so unclear in its language as to mislead the jury to the detriment of the defendant does not constitute reversible error. 5. A person charged with a criminal offense and correctly named in the indictment, who is called to the bar by another name being a mere contraction of his Christian name and responds to such call and pleads to the indictment and goes to trial upon the merits waives whatever defense he may have interposed by plea in abatement.