Kennedy v. State
Kennedy v. State
Opinion of the Court
The cause, being a misdemeanor, was transferred from the District to the County Court for trial. In making out the transcript, the district clerk had committed an error in the date of the filing of the indictment, having indorsed it “filed the 18th of August,” when the record of its presentment by the grand jury showed that it had not been presented by them until the 19th. A motion was made by the county attorney that the county clerk be
But was the error a material one, requiring correction at all? We think no.t. There is no question but that the mistake in date is entirely clerical. It further appears from the transcript that the District Court was in session both on the 18th and 19th. The records must show the fact of the presentment of the indictment, and that fact must be entered of record. Code Cr. Proc., art. 415. This was done, and the date upon which it was done was perpetuated and shown with certainty by the record. Under such circumstances, the record would be the surest and best evidence of the fact both of the date and the presentment, and in case of variance in the dates of the filing the record would control; and in fact in all cases it fixes the date whilst the court is in session, for courts are presumed in their proceedings to act not only legally, but accurately and correctly, with regard to their dates and times. If the filing of the indictment had shown an impossible date, or one when the court was not in session, then the case would be entirely different, and the date of the filing by the clerk might become a most material matter.
In this case we cannot perceive where there was any chance that the defendant could be injured; because the proposed correction was only with a view to make the act of the clerk conform with the record evidence as to date,
There is, however, in this case a radical error in the charge of the court, which was called to the attention of the court at the time and a bill of exceptions saved, which we find incorporated in the record. The charge objected to was in these words : “ If the jury believe from the evidence that the defendant committed an assault and battery upon Wilson Baker, unattended with circumstances of aggravation, they will acquit him of an aggravated assault and battery and find him guilty of simple assault and battery, and assess his punishment by fine not less than five dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars.” Under this instruction there was no chance of defendant’s acquittal of a simple assault; in fact, the jury were told that if they could not convict of an aggravated, they must find him guilty of a simple assault, and the only question was really as between the two degrees, and defendant was convicted of simple assault. The charge having been excepted to at the time and a bill of exceptions reserved, appellant is entitled to have his case reversed on account of the error. Hobbs v. The State, 7 Texas Ct. App. 117.
The charge of the court is further erroneous in that it presented and submitted other and different grounds of
The general rule in criminal pleading is, that if an offence may be committed in various modes, the party charged is entitled to have that mode stated in the indictment which is proven at the trial; and when one mode is stated, and proof of the commission of the offence by a different mode is offered, such evidence is incompetent by reason of variance. The Commonwealth v. Richardson (126 Mass. 34), 2 Am. Cr. Rep. (Hawley) 612; Tooney v. The State, 5 Texas Ct. App. 163; Roach v. The State, 8 Texas Ct. App. 478.
For the errors indicated and discussed above, the judgment of the court below is reversed and the cause remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.