Phipps v. State
Phipps v. State
Opinion of the Court
Elbert Phipps appeals from the judgment of the Circuit Court of Coffee County confining him to the State Penitentiary for not more than five years after a jury found him guilty of committing grand larceny.
The defendant seeks diminution of this record for the transcript of the proceeding on preliminary motions
The office of diminution of the record means simply to supply a material portion of the record omitted by the clerk. Such state of omission is not to be found in this record. As we view counsel’s motion for diminution of the record it appears that to allow such would be a misuse of the office of diminution. To allow what counsel requests would be an enlargement on the bill of exceptions after the time has expired. The trial court allowed thirty days from the overruling of the motion for a new trial for the bill of exceptions to be filed. The granting of additional time is within the discretion of the trial court and will not be interfered with in the absence of an abuse of that discretion. See 4A C.J.S. Appeal & Error sec. 868, p. 799. We find no such abuse in this record. To review the proceedings had as requested it was the duty of counsel to have those matters contained in the record. The motion for diminution is denied.
The defendant contends in numerous assignments of error that the judgment imposed is contrary to the law.
He contends in several assignments that by actions of the trial judge he was denied a fair trial. We have noted in the record that there was an apparent air of hostility between counsel and the court. In a bitterly contested lawsuit such as this adversaries and the court should never lose sight that in our system of justice an accused is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The personal feelings of the principals should never spill over that bulwark. We have reviewed the various assignments
The defendant contends that when the rule was asked for the sheriff was allowed to stay in the courtroom and testify. It appears his testimony was cumulative to the Chief of Police’s testimony and therefore if it was error it did not affect the results. The assignment is overruled.
The defendant contends the court erred in allowing the State to ask leading questions. The questioning and control of the testimony of witnesses is a matter within the discretion of the trial court unless we find the questions to be not only clearly leading but clearly prejudicial. The action of the trial court will not be interfered with. See Hale v. State, 198 Tenn. 461, 476, 281 S.W.2d 51. The question pertaining to the stolen articles contained in the indictment was clearly leading. On cross-examination the reference to the stolen articles elicited by the leading questions was delved into with the same results had. We find no prejudice here. The assignment is accordingly overruled.
The defendant next contends that the bill of exceptions contains omissions; therefore, there has been a denial of a complete and accurate report of the proceedings. We view this assignment in the light that the bill of exceptions as filed appears to have omissions, as alleged. The defendant has not shown where or how because of the omissions he has been prejudiced. See Hunter v.
The defendant contends the court erred in not directing a verdict of not guilty. There was proof developed that the bags transferred to the informant’s car contained the stolen merchandise. In other words, the court was aware of these facts and circumstances and the inference pertaining thereto when denying the motion for a directed verdict. See Ridley v. Spence, 61 Tenn.App. 571, 456 S.W.2d 846. The assignment is accordingly overruled.
The defendant next contends that it was error for the court not to sustain the defendant’s motion of double jeopardy made at the close of the State’s proof. The defendant bottoms this contention on the fact that this offense had been developed in a prior trial for another offense under the theory of system, scheme or device. There is no merit in this contention. Defendant was on trial and in jeopardy for the burglary of a business house in Tullahoma occurring on July 17, 1968, and not in jeopardy for this offense. The assignment is accordingly overruled.
The defendant has made several contentions regarding the burglary offense. In view of the action the trial court made in directing a verdict of not guilty on the burglary charge, these assignments are moot.
The defendant contends the court erred in not .allowing the father to testify as to alleged retardation of the defendant. This assignment has not been briefed. He relied upon alibi as his defense to the charge of bur
The defendant next contends in several assignments that the charge was a patchwork and conglomeration of disproportionate charges which confused the jury and that the numeral “5” was in the blank as to punishment and that it conveyed incorrectly the law on recently stolen property by putting the burden on the defendant to testify.
Nevertheless, we have examined the charge which defendant attached to his motion to diminute. We . find it is in script and typewritten. As we view it, it did not mislead or confuse the jury. See Tomlin v. State, 207 Tenn. 281, 339 S.W.2d 10. There is no proof that the numeral “5” was in the written charge taken to the jury room by the jury. The court correctly charged the law on recent stolen property and the inference that may arise from such possession. See Wharton’s Criminal Law and Procedure, Vol. 2, Sec. 411, p. 32. The recent possession of stolen goods gives rise to a fact (inference) upon which a jury may infer guilt. This does not cast any burden on the defendant. See 13 Am.Jur.2d, Sec. 54, pp. 355-356. All assignments pertaining to the charge as related have been evaluated and found to be without merit. They are accordingly overruled. We note defendant was seen to be in possession of the stolen goods a feiv days after the offense.
The defendant contends no elements necessary to constitute larceny have been proven in this record. The contention is overruled. See Wharton’s Criminal Law and Procedure, supra.
The defendant next contends the court erred in not charging the punishment for the offense of petit larceny. Evidently, the court did inadvertently fail to charge on the offense of petit larceny. It was not error not to charge the complete law thereto. There was no proof that the offense was anything less than grand larceny. See Patterson v. State, 218 Tenn. 80, 400 S.W.2d 743. The assignment is overruled.
He next contends that the defendant was denied his constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him by the refusal of the State to produce the name, identity or person of the informer. A reading of Roviaro v. United States, 353 U.S. 53, 77 S.Ct. 623, 628, 1 L.Ed.2d 639, reveals that there is no fixed rule as to when the trial court may order disclosure. The particular facts and circumstances in each case call for the trial court to weigh the rights of the accused against the rights of the informer and public policy, which will not inhibit the flow of information to law enforcement agencies. We do not think the court abused its discretion under the
We feel the allowance of this testimony was error; however, Chapman v. State of California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705, teaches that even Federal constitutional error does not require reversal if the reviewing court is “able to declare a belief that it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.” In view of the Chief of Police and Sheriff being eyewitnesses to the transaction where the stolen merchandise was delivered to the informer by the defendant, we are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the testimony of the Chief of Police about the informer was harmless. We so hold. The assignment is accordingly overruled.
There is another contention of defendant, that he was denied a speedy trial. The bill of exceptions approved by counsel fails to contain the proceedings surrounding the motion. In the absence thereof we find no merit to this contention and the assignment is accordingly overruled.
All assignments evaluated the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
070rehearing
There has been a petition to rehear filed in this cause.
The petitioner is much aggrieved with our treatment of his assignment of error pertaining to the charge as given by the trial court; that is, the law if personal property is shown recently to have been stolen and if found in the possession of one, when unexplained, raises a legal presumption of guilt on the part of the person in whose possession the goods are found; and if it be in the power of the accused to explain the possession and he fails to do so, the fact would intensify and make the evidence tending to establish guilty possession stronger.
He cites Thomas v. State, 225 Tenn. 71, 463 S.W.2d 687, 688, and urges reversal as this opinion clearly makes such a charge an incorrect statement of the law. With this contention of petitioner we do not agree. In Thomas v. State, supra, the charge under attack in that case was, in substance, the same as given in the instant case. At page 689 the following may be found:
“While ive are not prepared to depart from our own rule a sense of justice compels us in a case like this ivhere there are no other facts or circumstances in any way connecting defendant with the crime, and lapse of time between the larceny and its being found in the possession of defendant is somewhat extended to require the case to be retried with some explanation to the jury as to the meaning of the term ‘recent’.” (emphasis added)
We see no reason to change our treatment of this assignment.
The rest of this somewhat lengthy petition to rehear is reargument of facts and matters treated in our original opinion. We find nothing new in this rehash of these matters which Avould cause us to reconsider our opinion.
The petition to rehear is denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ELBERT PHIPPS, Plaintiff in Error, v. STATE OF TENNESSEE, Defendant in Error
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- 11 cases
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- Published