Lambert v. State
Lambert v. State
Opinion of the Court
Walter William Lambert, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the District Court of Tulsa County for the crime of Murder; his punishment was fixed at life imprisonment; and a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.
Succinctly stated, the evidence on behalf of the State established that on the evening of November 9, 1967, Deann Benton, defendant’s ex-wife, was drinking beer at the Saloon Tavern when the defendant entered, stayed a short time and left, returning a few minutes later to the bar where he engaged in a brief conversation with his ex-wife. She turned her head away from the defendant seated beside her, and he shot her in the back of the head with a .22 caliber loaded pistol and she fell to the floor.
The State’s witnesses requested that the defendant turn over the pistol and surrender himself to the police, but he refused to do so, leaving the tavern on foot and proceeding to a liquor store where he purchased a half pint of Vodka. The defendant made a telephone call, consumed most of the Vodka and was thereafter arrested by the police. He was advised of his constitutional rights but refused to disclose the location of the weapon until the next day when, after again being advised of his constitutional rights and the Miranda warning, he led the officers to the location where they recovered the death weapon.
Defendant testified in his own behalf that he and his ex-wife had had a stormy and turbulent marriage during which she had inflicted personal injuries on him by
It is first contended that the trial court made improper and prejudicial remarks to the jury during the course of the trial and the defendant was prejudiced thereby. Under this proposition it is contended that the trial court erred in questioning certain witnesses during the course of the trial. Our examination of the record leads us to conclude that in the instances cited by the defendant in the brief and other instances appearing in the record, the court did question witnesses in order to clarify for the benefit of the jury, the somewhat nebulous answers given by the witnesses, but neither the form of the questions nor the judge’s conduct during said questioning tended in any way to indicate anything other than a desire that the facts be clearly set forth in order to aid the jury in their determination. In Henderson v. State, Okl.Cr., 385 P.2d 930, we stated:
“A trial judge has the right, in the exercise of his discretion, to ask of any witness such questions as will tend to elicit the truth, and so long as the judge does not, by his questions or conduct, indicate his views as to the matters at issue, a defendant will not be heard to complain of any question asked by him which is reasonably calculated to elicit the truth.”
It is further argued under this proposition that the trial court, in ruling on objections made, unnecessarily rebuked counsel for defense in the presence of the jury, thus prejudicing the defendant by rendering ineffective counsel’s conduct of the trial. Here, again, an examination of the entire record discloses that although it was necessary for the court to make certain rulings during the conduct of the trial, such admonitions were directed at both counsel for the State and the defendant and indeed, were occasioned by the argumentative and sometimes misleading manner in which questions were propounded and objections made by both sides. The only conclusion to be drawn from an examination of the entire record is that the trial court’s actions were directed to achieving a fair and impartial trial for both the defendant and the State and not marred by any improper misconduct of the respective parties. We find the defendant’s first assignment of error without merit.
It is next urged that the trial court erred in refusing to grant defendant a mistrial for the reason that the defendant had not been allowed a pre-trial examination of the death weapon and other evidence taken from the defendant’s automobile. At the conclusion of the State’s evidence, the defendant filed a Motion in which he sought a mistrial and a hearing was conducted outside the presence of the jury. From the statements of counsel offered at said hearing it appears that counsel for defendant, before the preliminary magistrate, filed a motion for examination of the death weapon. The magistrate overruled his application for pre-trial inspection at that time, but the prosecutor agreed to allow the defendant pre-trial inspection of the death weapon and to transmit to him any report he received as a result of any examinations made. The reason given for refusing ex
Defendant’s next contention that the trial court erred in refusing to suppress certain incriminating admissions made by the defendant while in custody before being fully advised of his constitutional rights, gives little weight to the testimony of officers that the defendant had been thoroughly advised of his constitutional rights prior to his making any incriminating statement or admission, and he understood these rights. Certainly, there is ample evidence in the record to support the trial court’s ruling on the admissibility of defendant’s statements made in custody and we are, therefore, of the opinion that this assignment of error is without merit. In arriving at this conclusion, the trial court had before him for his consideration all of the evidence bearing on this issue, together with evidence of the consumption of a quantity of Vodka by the defendant prior to his arrest, and while there is some conflict in the evidence, there was sufficient evidence to support the ruling of the trial court and his ruling thereon will not be disturbed on appeal.
It is lastly contended that the verdict of the jury and punishment imposed is excessive and a result of passion and prejudice. We fail to see how the jury could have arrived at any other verdict than that the defendant was guilty of premeditated Murder by deliberately shooting his ex-wife in the head from behind, and bearing in mind that the punishment for the crime of Murder is either life imprison
In conclusion, we observe that the evidence amply supports the verdict of the jury, the record is free of any error which would justify modification or reversel, the punishment imposed is the minimum possible for the crime of Murder and for those reasons, the judgment and sentence is affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
I do not feel that a trial judge should participate in the interrogation of witnesses during a trial. It is his duty to preside over the trial, maintain decorum, pass on questions of law, and instruct the jury on the law applicable to the case at bar. Because of his respected position it is so easy for him to influence the jury that it is a much better policy for him to refrain from interrogation of witnesses.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Walter William LAMBERT, Plaintiff in Error, v. the STATE of Oklahoma, Defendant in Error
- Cited By
- 13 cases
- Status
- Published