Noe v. State
Noe v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The plaintiffs in error, Charles David Noe and Jerry W. Rhudy, hereinafter called defendants or by their respective names, appeal from a conviction under an indictment charging they “did unlawfully and wilfully prowl, travel and ride through the City of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee to the disturbance of the peace and the alarming of the citizens of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. ’ ’ This indictment is based on T.C.A. Sec. 39-2805.
On 4 April 1963, about 1:00 A.M., Judge John P. Colton and his wife were on their way home driving their car
The defendants testified they had car trouble and had stopped on North Parkway. That while stopped here, on two occasions, a car load of teenagers had passed them harassing and yelling at them. They thought the Colton car was the teenagers returning and Noe struck the side of this car and they gave chase overtaking the car at
The principal argument for reversal of this case is ably and succinctly stated by counsel for defendant in his brief as follows:
‘ ‘ The Statute herein involved, frequently designated as the Night Riding Statute, was enacted in 1907. Our research of the authorities reveals only two reported opinions of this Court construing it. The first is DeBoard v. State, 160 Tenn. 51 [22 S.W.2d 235], which is a 1929 opinion. In that case the defendant, a peeping tom, was convicted of violating the Statute. This Court held that the Statute is not broad enough to govern the acts of one secretly looking in windows.
“The other case is Essary v. State, 210 Tenn. 220, 357 S.W.2d 342. This is a 1962 opinion upholding the conviction of a group of defendants who, while involved in a labor controversy, gathered together and traveled to and assembled before the home of the prosecuting witness and attempted, through the use of angry and abusive language, to intimidate the witness and to influence him to leave his job. The defendants were fined $50.00. In the Essary case there was a preconceived plan and conspiracy as a result of which the defendants did unlawfully and wilfully prowl, travel and ride through the jurisdiction involved to the disturbance of the peace and the alarming of the citizens, and for the purpose of intimidating.
“It is the contention of the defendants, and especially the defendant, Rhudy, that the defendants’ activities on the night in question did not constitute Night Riding*433 as contemplated by the Statute. It is readily admitted that the conduct of the defendants in their language to Judge and Mrs. Colton was reprehensible and inexcusable and was an obvious violation of the Disorderly Conduct Statute.
“The strongest evidence supporting the defendants’ contention that at the time they followed and overtook Judge and Mrs. Colton they were under the impression that they were following a car of teenagers who had passed them previously and provoked them, comes from Judge and Mrs. Colton themselves. They both testified that the defendants, on overtaking them, accused them of being the persons who had previously passed them on two occasions. The defendants clearly, though crudely, indicated a case of mistaken identity on overtaking the Coltons. The Statute in question contemplates a premeditated and preconceived plot or conspiracy to intimidate predesignated persons for specific purposes. This is borne out in the Essary opinion.
“Such was not the case here. The actions of the defendants were spontaneous and without design. Although abominable, repugnant and offensive as • they may have been, the acts of the defendants do not constitute a violation of the Night Riding Statute. To so hold would require a strained and improper interpretation of the Statute and the intent of the Legislature which enacted it. Such a holding would make every spontaneous fracas or act of disorderly conduct which occurred in the nighttime an act of Night Riding.
“For the above legal and technical reasons, it is respectfully submitted that the judgment should be reversed.”
The penalty provided by this statute is a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $100.00 and confinement of not less than 6 months or more than 12 months. Noe was fined $50.00 and sentenced to serve 6 months, while Bhudy was fined $75.00 and sentenced to serve 9 months. Counsel for Bhudy argues, under these facts, the punishment meted to his client is excessive. We are unable to understand why the jury gave Bhudy a heavier penalty than Noe, but since the defendants elected to have the jury fix the time to be served we are without authority to change it.
We have examined all the assignments of error and find no reversible error in the record. Judgment affirmed.
Petition to Behear
The defendants, Charles David Noe and Jerry W. Bhudy, have filed petitions to rehear. These petitions contain no argument not previously made, cite no authority not previously considered, nor point out any material fact overlooked in our original opinion. ■ Such being the case the petitions to rehear fail to comply with Buie 32 of this Court and are denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Charles David Noe and Jerry W. Rhudy v. State of Tennessee
- Status
- Published