Hightower v. State

Mississippi Supreme Court
Hightower v. State, 58 Miss. 636 (Miss. 1881)
Campbell

Hightower v. State

Opinion of the Court

Campbell, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This case may be considered as if Mr. Frankel had not tes*639tified at all as to whether or not the committing magistrate reduced to writing the alleged confession of the accused. Then it stands thus : The law required the officer to reduce to writing the confession of the accused, and to certify and send up .the record made to the Circuit Court, and, in the absence of proof, the presumption is that the officer did his duty; and as the court, in the trial of this case, sent one of its officers to search for this record, who reported to the court, under oath, that it could not be found, it was proper to admit parol evidence of the confession or admission of the accused before the examining court. Presumedly, the record made by the examining magistrate was in the possession of the Circuit Court. If it caused search to be made for it among its records, and it could not be found, it was competent to prove bj? parol the confession, unless it was made to appear that the record of it was in existence somewhere else. There was no such suggestion. The evidence of the confession of the accused was objected to solely on the ground of the absence of the writing-made by the justice of the peace who examined the charge against him. There was no hint in the court below, so far as the bill of exceptions shows, that the confession was not voluntary. It must be assumed to have been such, and that it was so made to appear to the Circuit Court. Its action must be held to have been correct, except wherein it is distinctly shown not to have been. He who complains of error in the action of the court below must point it out. He must be able to “ put his finger on it.” Otherwise it will be presumed to have been correct.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Alex. Hightower v. State
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Confession. Before magistrate. Presumption as to whether reduced to writing. As the law requires a magistrate, in examining a criminal charge, to reduce to writing any confession made by the accused, the presumption is, on the trial of one in the Circuit Court who has made such confession, in the absence of proof, that it was reduced to writing by the magistrate, in the discharge of his official duty. 2. Same. Search for record, thereof. Admission of secondary evidence. If, upon such trial in the Circuit Court, the defendant demands the production of the record of the proceedings in the examination by the magistrate, and the court sends “ one of its officers to search for the record, and he reports to the court, under oath, that it cannot be found,” it is proper to admit parol evidence of the confession, in case there be no evidence of such record being elsewhere than in the possession of the Circuit Court, as it is presumed to be. 3. Same. Whether voluntary. Absence of proof from record. Presumption'in this court. Where, upon an appeal by the defendant in a criminal case, it is objected that there is no proof that a confession which was used in evidence against the accused was voluntary, the objection will not be entertained by this court if it does not appear by the record that it was made in the court below. In such case, the presumption is that it was proven before the Circuit Court that the confession was voluntary.