Reed v. State
Reed v. State
Dissenting Opinion
With deference I am impelled to dissent from the conclusion of the majority in this case and I do so not because I think the appellant is innocent but because I think that the decision of the Court has the effect of repealing Sec. 1691, Code of 1942, which is as follows: “The accused shall be a competent witness for himself in any prosecution for crime against him; but the failure of the accused, in any case, to testify shall not operate to his prejudice or be commented on by counsel.”
By Instruction No. 1 given the State the first portion of the above section of the Code is virtually nullified. And the jury in effect was told that they might disbelieve the appellant simply because he is interested in the outcome of the case. This Court has on several occasions had occasion to express itself with reference to a similar instruction particularly where the defendant
In the case just quoted from the defendant was the only witness in his behalf on the facts and the Gourt there said that the error was not cured by instructions for the accused, yet the Court in this .case has done just exactly what Judge Campbell held against in the Buckley ease, that is, it has held that an instruction for the accused in this case cured, the error.
In the case of Pigott v. State, 107 Miss. 552, 558-559, 65 So. 583, the Court said: “Appellant complains that the court erred in giving the second instruction for the state, which reads:
“ ‘The court instructs the jury that you do not have to believe a witness just because he testified in the case, and, in passing on the testimony of any witness, you may take into consideration the interest of such witness, if he has any, and believe or disbelieve any witness as you believe the truth is from all the testimony in the case. ’
‘ ‘ This instruction should not have been granted. Tinder the facts of this case, it is necessarily directed to the testimony of appellant. It singles out and marks him for discredit. Such instructions have been condemned by this court. Buckley v. Dunn, 67 Miss. 710, 7 So. 550, 19 Am. St. Rep. 334; Woods v. State, 67 Miss. 575, 7 So. 495; Townsend v. State, 12 So. 209.”
In Jones v. State, 154 Miss. 640, 645, 122 So. 760, the Court said: “Where the appellant is the only witness in his own behalf, and is clearly the only person connected with the trial who has interest in the case, it is error for the court by this instruction to point out the
The Court quoted with approval from the Townsend case as follows: ‘ ‘ The defendant was not the only witness on his behalf, but he was the only one interested in the result of the jury’s verdict, in any proper sense. The instructions unmistakably singled him out, and marked him for discredit by the jury. It is not true, moreover, that, because of his interest in the result of the verdict, the jury might arbitrarily reject his evidence, and refuse to consider it.”
In the case of Smith v. State, 90 Miss. 111, 43 So. 462, 122 Am. St. Rep. 313, the Court said in discussing tMs instruction: “The court charges the jury that they are the sole judges and weighers of the testimony and the credibility of the witnesses and in passing upon the testimony of any witness the jury may take into consideration the interest such witness may have in the result of the trial, if any, such (as) has been shown by the testimony in the case. * * *
“We think it was error to give the state’s second instruction. The defendant was the only witness to the fact in his own behalf, and the charge would have been no stronger if it had called his name and cautioned the jury, in its own language, to ‘take into consideration the interest such witness may have in the result of the trial. ’ His testimony should not be so hampered by such express reference. ’ ’
In the case of Chatman v. State, 102 Miss. 179, 59 So. 8, with reference to a similar instruction, the Court said: “Appellant was the only witness who testified in her behalf in the court below, and her evidence, if believed by the jury to be true, entitle her to an acquittal. Con
In Gaines v. State, 48 So. 182, 183, not reported in the State Reports, this Court said: “Appellant being the only witness in his own-behalf and testifying-to -a state of facts which, if believed by the jury, would result in his acquittal, it was fatal error to give the second and third instructions for the state. These charges, authorizing the jury to consider the interest of the witnesses and the fact that they had sworn falsely to some material fact, were, of course, pointed straight at the defendant, and are plainly condemned in Woods v. State, 67 Miss. 575, 7 South. 495, and Smith v. State, 90 Miss. 111, 43 South. 465, 122 Am. St. Rep. 313.”
The controlling opinion cites and relies on the case of Vails v. State, 94 Miss. 365, 48 So. 725, hut that decision does not conflict with any of the cases cited in this dissent for the reason that Vails was not the only witness who testified in his behalf.
The controlling opinion says' that instruction No. 22 obtained by the appellant cured the error in the State’s instruction in this Case. What the controlling opinion ignores is the fact that this Court has held that the granting of other instructions does not cure the error in the State’s instruction. Furthermore the controlling opinion says that the appellant’s instruction No. 22 points out the defendant in the case and therefore cured the error of the State’s instruction in pointing him out. In my opinion,-the argument in the controlling opinion is wholly untenable and completely cuts off the defendant from any effort to try to get the jury straightened out on the law of the case. The controlling opinion admits that the granting of the State’s instruction No. 1 was error hut dismisses the matter with the mere state
Opinion of the Court
Appellant, John L. Reed, Avas convicted in the Circuit Court of Lowndes County of assault and battery with intent to kill Mahlon Vickery, Chief of Police of the City of Columbus, and was sentenced to serve five years in the state penitentiary. The jury was amply warranted in finding, as it evidently did, that he was guilty of a willful assault and battery upon Chief Vickery with an intent to kill him. Vickery was in his office unarmed when Reed, a policeman, shot him several times with a pistol. Appellant concedes there was “ample testimony to warrant the jury in finding the appellant guilty.” In fact, the overwhelming weight of the evidence supports the jury’s finding of guilt.
Appellant contends it was reversible error to give this instruction. He was the only witness in his defense on the facts of the case. He also offered six character witnesses as to his general reputation in the community for peaceableness. Appellant argues Number 1 was reversible error, because it directed the jury’s attention to his interest in the result of the trial and commented by inference on his testimony. He relies upon a line of case holding such an instruction to be error where defendant is the only witness in his behalf on the facts. Buckley v. State, 62 Miss. 705 (1885) ; Woods v. State, 67 Miss. 575, 7 So. 495 (1890); Townsend v. State, 12 So. 209 (Miss. 1892); Smith v. State, 90 Miss. 110, 43 So. 465 (1907); Gaines v. State, 48 So. 182 (Miss. 1909); Chatman v. State, 102 Miss. 179, 59 So. 8 (1912); Pigott v. State, 107 Miss. 552, 65 So. 583 (1914); Jones v. State, 154 Miss. 640, 122 So. 760 (1929); Thompson v. State, 158 Miss. 121, 130 So. 112 (1930); State v. Jennings, 50 So. 2d 352 (Miss. 1951). The condemnation of this instruction does not apply where there are witnesses for defendant on the facts other than the defendant himself. Hughey v. State, 106 So. 361 (Miss. 1925) ; Thompson v. State, supra; Murphy v. State, 119 Miss. 220, 80 So. 636 (1918). Nor does it
Defendant obtained twenty-five instructions setting forth in full his defenses and theories. In several of his instructions, particularly Number 22, attention was called to his testimony. Defendant’s Instruction Number 22 states: ‘ ‘ The court instructs the jury for the defendant that the law makes the defendant a competent witness for himself, and permits him to testify in his own behalf, and his testimony you cannot arbitrarily, under your oath, disregard, simply because he is the defendant in the case; but it is your duty to consider Reed’s testimony, as you consider the testimony of any other witness in this case, and, if you have no other reason to disbelieve him as a witness than the fact that he is the defendant in the case, then it is your sworn duty to believe him, and believe that he spoke the truth, and it is sufficient, in connection with the other testimony in this case, to raise in your minds a reasonable doubt of his guilt, then you should find him not guilty, and the form of such a verdict may be: AVE, THE JURY, FIND THE
DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY.’ ”
In the foregoing instruction defendant called attention to his own testimony, and by clear implication referred to his own interest in the case as not warranting disbelief in him as a witness; and if there is no other reason to disbelieve him than “the fact that he is the defendant in the case, then it is your sworn duty to believe him, and believe that he spoke the truth, ...” This latter, quoted part of Number 22 was clearly more than appellant was entitled to and has been condemned. Coleman v. State, 22 So. 2d 410 (Miss. 1945); see also Dun
In view of the instructions granted defendant, and particularly Number 22, it is manifest that the jury was amply instructed on all points pertinent to the defense, and his Number 22 cured whatever error there might have been in State’s Instruction Number 1. The former, at appellant’s own request, directed the jury to consider Reed’s testimony as that of any other witness, and not to arbitrarily ignore him, ‘ ‘ simply because he is the defendant in the case.” At his own instance, appellant called to the attention of the jury his interest in the case. So the argument that State’s Instruction Number 1, in general terms, impliedly called to the jury’s attention his interest in the result, is to say the least anomalous, and an inconsistent position by defendant. We will not reverse the trial court for an error created by the defendant’s own instruction. Two earlier cases hold to the same effect on this precise issue.
In Vails v. State, 94 Miss. 365, 48 So. 725 (1908), the defendant was convicted of manslaughter. He claimed self-defense. The State was granted an instruction similar to Number 1 for the State in this case. The Court said that it “must be taken in connection with” an instruction given defendant similar to Reed’s Number
This interpretation was confirmed subsequently in Matthews v. State, 108 Miss. 72, 78, 66 So. 325 (1914). Defendant was convicted of murder, and was the only witness in his behalf on the facts. The State obtained an instruction somewhat similar to the State’s Number 1, and apparently defendant obtained one substantially similar to Reed’s Number 22. To appellant’s complaint concerning the State’s instruction, this response was made: “The ground of this objection is that appellant was the only witness who testified in his behalf on the material points of the case, and therefore the instruction was necessarily aimed at his testimony. If the court committed error in granting this instruction, it was cured by the first paragraph of the first instruction granted appellant. Vails v. State, 94 Miss. 365, 48 So. 725.” See also Murphy v. State, 119 Miss. 220, 228 80 So. 636 (1918); Callas v. State, 151 Miss. 617, 630, 118 So. 447 (1928); Hoxie v. Hadad, 193 Miss. 896, 899-901, 11 So. 2d 693 (1943); 1 Alexander, Miss. Jury Instructions (1953), Sections 1641, 1642; 2 Alexander, Ibid., Sections 4973, 4992. Hence we conclude that State’s Instruction Number 1, although erroneously given, is not reversible error, but was entirely harmless and non-prejudicial, under the circumstances, and was cured by Reed’s Instruction Number 22.
Affirmed.
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