State v. Torgerson
State v. Torgerson
Concurring Opinion
(concurring in result) .
I concur in the result for the reason that although I believe the testimony placing defendant’s car at another place half hour prior to his arrest may have been material and not prejudicial, other testimony to the effect that at that time someone who had broken a grocery store window was seen to approach this same car, was immaterial and in my opinion prejudicial. Some veniremen well may have had a reasonable doubt as to defendant’s guilt, but for the circumstance that defendant’s car was seen and apparently used in connection with an offense similar to that with which the defendant here was charged, giving rise to a not unreasonable belief that defendant was a party to such previous offense and hence likely to be guilty in the instant case.
I agree with the commentary of Mr. Justice Crockett, in .his dissent which follows, to the effect that the total story of a crime is like a multi-colored stone mosaic, but we cannot, for the purpose of completing a judicial mosaic in criminal cases, simply supply stones which, though filling a void, come from foreign quarries, — if such stones in completing the pattern, may be those that seal a mausoleum in which an innocent might be interred. In my opinion, the evidence that someone, — admittedly not the accused, — was seen to run toward accused’s car after such stranger had broken a window at some other site, may fit the mosaic of which Mr. Justice Crockett speaks, but it also may be the loadstone with which the jury sealed defendant’s sepulchre.
Dissenting Opinion
I dissent. I do not believe that the trial court committed prejudicial error in admitting the evidence of the window-breaking incident at Horton’s. This seems to me to be true whether one believes that the evidence connected the defendant with that incident, or that it did not. If it failed to show any connection of the defendant with the incident, it proves nothing against him, and therefore was not prejudicial. On the other hand, if the evidence is such that reasonable men could believe that the defendant was connected with the window-breaking occurrence, then I think that his connection with such incident, which reasonable minds might regard as an act.of burglarious character, has some probative .value as to his intent when he was arrested .shortly thereafter at Nygren’s door with the pinch bar in hand.
The evidence in question, as I view it, is either some colorless material, having no bearing on the picture at all, in which event it was harmless to the defendant; or it does have some probative force, giving color to the entire picture of the crime of burglary which was sought to be made out against the defendant, in which case it was competent.
The fundamental tenet is that all evidence having probative value on a disputed issue is admissible. This is true even where that evidence may tend to connect defendant with other crimes. It is not to be doubted that caution must be exercised in receiving evidence of other crimes lest the jury be prejudiced thereby and the defendant be deprived of a fair trial upon the issue at hand. The essence of our law is well stated in State v. Scott:
Notwithstanding the fact that the defendant was apprehended at eleven o’clock at night standing in front of the door of Ny-gren’s Market with a pinch bar in hand and there were marks on the door which could have been made by the bar, he maintains his innocence of any intent to commit burglary. The burden was thus cast upon the State to show what his intent was. It was therefore not only proper to inquire into what his im
The testimony showed that the defendant was in his family car, a blue Plymouth sedan, with tzvo men earlier in the evening; that this car was parked near Horton’s Market, a few blocks away; that a man was seen to break the window there and run toward the car; that within a half hour thereafter the defendant was apprehended at Nygren’s Market as described; and that after the police had attended to booking him the car was found secluded in an adjacent alley, with two men in it who, it would reasonably appear, were waiting for the defendant to complete his task. This all ties together to make up the picture of what happened just prior to, at the time of and immediately following this attempted burglary.
There being a disputed issue as to defendant’s intent, it seems to me that reasonable minds could regard the breaking of the window at Horton’s as an act of burglarious character and further could reasonably infer that the defendant was connected therewith, which act, in the same part of town, and closely related in time, would give color to the intent defendant had in respect to Nygren’s Market.
If the foregoing conclusion be unsound, then it can only be for the reason that the evidence failed to show that the defendant was in any way connected with the incident at Horton’s Market in which event, as above stated, it would not have been harmful to him. It cannot fairly be suggested in this case that the questioned evidence was purposed only to stigmatize the defendant or to show a disposition to commit crime generally, which is the only basis upon which it could be held to be prejudicial. We are affirmatively charged with the duty of not reversing a conviction unless the error is both substantial and prejudicial.
It is my opinion that the trial court committed no error, and certainly no prejudicial error, in admitting the questioned evidence. I would affirm the conviction.
. 1947, 111 Utah 9, 175 P.2d 1021, 1022.
. 1944, 106 Utah 307, 148 P.2d 327.
. Rule 61, U. R. C. P.
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a conviction of attempted burglary. Appellant was apprehended by two police officers about 11 p. m. on April 25, 1954, after they saw him standing in a suspicious manner facing the doors of a grocery market which was closed for the night. Appellant apparently observed the approach of the police ambulance in which the officers were riding because he scooted around a corner of the market into its parking lot and was peering around the corner of the store when the officers arrived. When he was arrested he was holding a crowbar. The doors of the market are made of steel and are the swinging type which meet in the center. When these doors were examined later there were found dent marks between the doors just below the lock which could have been made by this particular crowbar. These dent marks were not there before the night of appellant’s arrest. After appellant was jailed, officers went back to the market and in an alley leading to its parking lot found a 1941 dark blue Plymouth sedan registered in the name of appellant’s wife in which two men were asleep. The state further introduced evidence that this same car had been parked in the parking lot of another market about 10:30 p. m. when a man, not the appellant, was seen to go towards appellant’s car after having been observed breaking the glass in the door of the market which was located about 8 blocks west of the one at which appellant was apprehended. Although one of the arresting officers testified that he had
It is appellant’s contention that evidence about his car being in the vicinity when an offense was committed by one other than appellant was irrelevant and immaterial and therefore its admission was prejudicial error and that as a matter of law there was insufficient evidence of appellant’s intent to commit the crime of which he was convicted.
In support of his contention that evidence of the commission of another offense was prejudicial error appellant cites a number of cases which hold that the commission of another offense by defendant is not admissible against him unless it comes within the exception to the rule that proof of such an offense is admissible to show intent, motive, etc. The rule on that subject in this state is that such evidence which has probative value to prove a material issue is admissible unless offered only to show evil or criminal disposition. However, such evidence is admissible if it tends to prove that the defendant had the necessary intent.
Judgment is reversed with directions to grant a new trial.
. State v. Nemier, 106 Utah 307, 148 P.2d 327: State v. Scott, 111 Utah 9, 175 P.2d 1016, and State v. Prettyman, 113 Utah 36, 191 P.2d 142.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of Utah, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Robert Henry TORGERSON, Defendant and Appellant
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published