Crawford v. State
Crawford v. State
Opinion of the Court
W. J. Crawford was convicted of committing an assault with intent to murder, by shooting C. H. Cannington with a pistol. He excepts to the judgment overruling his motion for a new trial. Special ground 2 of the motion complains of the following excerpt from the charge of the court: “The State insists, as the court understands, that at the time of the alleged shooting that C. H. Cannington’s pistol was on the seat of the car, and that he was making an effort to get it when he observed what he thought was the intention of the defendant to shoot him, and that he made an effort to get his pistol, but did not succeed in time to protect himself, and the State insists as to whatever C. H. Cannington did was in self-defense.” Movant contends that the undisputed testimony of all the witnesses, as well as the defendant’s statement, is to the effect that “C. H. Cannington had his pistol in his hand at the time he was shot,” and that the charge of the court that “the State insists, as the court understands, that at the time of the alleged shooting that C. H. Cannington’s pistol was on the seat of the car” is “an erroneous opinion of the court,” unsupported by any evidence in the case. We quote from the testimony of C. H. Cannington: “I would not swear whether it was cocked or not, but it was my intention to cock it, and it was my intention to get my pistol and shoot him (defendant) if I could see him. . . At the time I was shot I had my pistol in my hand. I was not pointing it at anybody. If I could have seen him (defendant) I would have shot him.” W. H. Crawford, sworn for the defendant, testified: that defendant walked towards the automobile in which Cannington was seated; that Cannington pointed his pistol at defendant and followed him around the car, and that
The defendant’s main contention was that after he and Canning-ton had had an argument and some words about a settlement between them, he, defendant, went to his home and got his books and was approaching the automobile in which Cannington was sit-. ting, when Cannington, suddenly and without provocation, drew a pistol on him, and he, defendant, shot in self-defense. The State’s main contention was that the defendant suddenly presented his pistol at Cannington and snapped it several times, and then jumped behind the automobile and shot Cannington without provocation.
“It is error to give to the jury a charge not authorized by the evidence; and where, in a criminal case, the evidence introduced by the accused would, if believed by the jury, have warranted his acquittal, and the effect of such a charge was necessarily to give
It appearing from the record in the case at bar that the court charged, as the contention of the State, a theory that was denied by the positive testimony of C. H. Cannington himself, refuted by the other State’s witnesses, and contradicted by the defendant and his witnesses, the judgment of the trial judge must be reversed.
Several of the remaining grounds of the motion for a new trial have not the unqualified approval of the .trial judge, and those that have his approval disclose no reversible error, and present no question that is of special interest or that is likely to recur upon another trial of the case. Since the case is for trial again, the general grounds of the motion for a new trial will, of course, not be decided.
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.