Newman v. State
Newman v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
On 23 September 1971 GABLE NEWMAN, in a criminal cause docketed below as Criminal Trials 10,921, was found guilty at a bench trial in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County of two offenses committed on 13 November 1970, as charged in the 1st and 2nd counts of the indictment returned against him, videlicet: (1) the breaking of the dwelling of Kay Frances Wright with intent to commit the felony of larceny; and (2) the grand larceny of goods belonging to her. On 10 January 1972 he was sentenced to 10 years less 4 weeks, two years of the sentence to run consecutive to and 8 years to run concurrent with a sentence imposed in another case docketed below as Criminal Trials 10,920, in which we affirmed the judgment by unreported opinion, Newman v. State, No. 686 September Term 1971, filed 22 May 1972. On appeal he questions the sufficiency of the evidence. His argument does not go to the corpus delicti of the offenses but only to his criminal agency.
Newman’s criminal agency was established by the finding of latent fingerprints on a carton of cigarettes in the broken dwelling. The latent prints were lifted from the carton and compared with rolled prints of Newman. The testimony was that Newman’s left thumb had impressed the print on the carton. However, Detective John M.
“DATE 11/13/70 TIME 1422 LIFT No. #3
TYPE OF CASE B & E Wright, Kay F.
ADDRESS 612 62nd PI. Seat Pleasant, Md.
LIFTED FROM a cardboard carton of Kool cigarettes
LIFTED BY Lloyd
LATENT PRINTCASE No. 70-317-193”
Exhibit No. 2 was a card containing the impressions of inked fingerprints. It purported to be the prints of Gable Newman, 5402 Nash St., Chapel Oaks, Md., and bore a signature “Gable Newman”. It described Newman: “Sex Male; Race Negro; Ht. 5'11"; Wt. 150; Date of birth 4-28-52; Hair black; eyes Brown; Place of Birth Washington, D.C.” Detective Olds signed the card as the official taking the prints. The date fingerprinted was given as
We do not know why the State made no attempt to clear up the matter. The point was brought out expressly at the close of evidence offered by the State on argument on motion for judgment of acquittal which was denied.
Olds identified Exhibit No. 2 as “a latent fingerprint card of Gable Newman taken by myself. It is a finger roll card.” He said he took the prints on November 19, 1970.” It was received in evidence. Masters testified he had seen Exhibit No. 2 and compared the prints on No. 1 with the prints on No. 2 which he referred to as “the ink fingerprint card of Gable Newman.” He said that according to his record “the request was submitted on the 16th [of November 1970] and my examination was completed on the 17th.”
It is clear that Newman’s conviction was based solely on his fingerprint being on the cigarette carton. Ordinarily this would have been enough in the circumstances. But we are not content that he be deprived of his liberty on the state of the record here. The lower court as the trier of fact was obliged to find beyond a reasonable doubt that it was Newman who broke the dwelling and stole the goods. His fingerprint found on the scene was sufficient if, beyond a reasonable doubt, it was his fingerprint. The trier fact has the duty to resolve conflicts in the evidence and it does so by weighing the evidence and determining the credibility of the witnesses. But here it is not a matter of the court weighing the evidence before it or deciding that Masters is to be believed and Olds is not or vice versa. To find beyond a reasonable doubt on the evidence here that the print on the carton was that of Newman, either the date Newman’s prints were inked or the date the comparison was made would' have to be incorrect. We do not believe that the evidence as adduced was sufficient in law for the court to conclude that either date was in fact incorrect and the other correct. For it to do so on this evidence would be pure speculation. The lower court proceeded to its verdict on the predicate that the print lifted from the carton was impressed by Newman. We do not think that the state of the
Judgment vacated; further proceedings to be had in accordance with this opinion.
. The lower court said: “Well, you do not grant the motions on that kind of a situation. The test on this motion is that the testimony is taken most favorable to the State. Whether there is sufficient evidence to be the proper basis of a conviction, the trier of facts must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is a discrepancy the trier of the facts dissolves discrepancies. You do not get a motion for judgment of acquittal granted because of a discrepancy. You could have seventeen witnesses all who testified different and for a motion of judgment of acquittal the trier of the facts would have to choose one out of the seventeen that was most favorable to the State for a determination of whether there was sufficient evidence to justify a case going to the jury. So on that grounds I will deny your motion.”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.