Jones v. Commonwealth
Jones v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This is a writ of error to a judgment of the hustings court of Manchester, convicting Junius E. Jones and
There are three assignments of error in the petition for a writ of error in the case, as follows, to-wit:
1. In the court’s refusing to allow the petitioner a separate trial, as objected to in bill of exceptions Ho. 1.
2. In admitting the illegal testimony set forth in bill of exceptions Ho. 2.
8. In overruling his motion for a new trial, as set forth in bill of exceptions Ho. 3.
We will proceed to consider the questions arising on these assignments of error in the order in which they •are made.
1. In the court’s refusing to allow the petitioner a separate trial, as objected to in bill of exceptions Ho. 1.
It is stated in that bill “ that on the trial of the case the prisonei’, Junius O. Jones, befoi’e pleading, moved the court to permit him to sever from the other defendant, that he might he tried separately and apart fx’om the said other defendant for the offence charged against them jointly in the indictment, which motion the coux’t ovei’ruled and required the defendants to go into trial jointly, as they were indicted;” to which xmling of the ■court the defendant, Jones, by his counsel excepted.
This question has already been expressly decided by .this court in the case of The Commonwealth v. Lewis & Diviney, 25 Gratt. 938; in which it vras held that where two persons have been indicted jointly for a misdemeanor they cannot claim any x’ight to be tried separately. It is, therefore, only necessary, on this branch of the subject, to refer to that case, and we are of opinion that the court
2. In admitting the illegal testimony set forth in bill of exceptions Ho. 2.
It is stated in that bill “ that on the trial of the case the Commonwealth introduced as witness one James B. Fitzgerald, policeman of the city of Manchester, and offered to prove by him that on the morning of the 20th of March, 1878, before 7 o’clock, while one Ilaxall, one of the defendants in this cause, was standing in front of the market-house, said Ilaxall admitted and stated to him and to others in his presence, in front of the market-house in Manchester, said Ilaxall being then out on bail on the charge of larceny, whilst the defendant J. E. Jones was absent, that he, said Ilaxall, did not steal the iron ; Mr. Jones gave it to him to put it where it was found, and gave him drinks, and promised to pay him for doing it; that he did put it where it was found, as he had promised Jones to do; and that said Ilaxall made this statement voluntarily, without any inducement or threat being used by the policeman or any one else. The court being of opinion that the evidence was admissible as evidence on the joint trial, and stating that the court would instruct the jury as to the force and effect of said evidence in relation to said Jones, allowed the same to be given to the jury. To the introduction of this testimony the defendant Jones, by his counsel, objected, and moved the court to reject it, said admissions or declarations not being made in his presence, but the court overruled the motion and permitted said admissions aud declarations to go to the jury. To this ruling of the court the pi’isoner, by his counsel, excepted.” -
We are of opinion that the court below did not err in the said ruling. The said admissions and declarations
3. In overruling the said motion for a new trial, as set forth in bill of exceptions No. 3.
It is stated in that bill “ that on the trial of this case, after the witnesses had been hoard and the jury had rendered their verdict, the defendant Jones moved the court to set aside said verdict as to himself, and award him a new trial upon the ground that it was contrary to the evidence ; which motion the court overruled and proceeded to render judgment upon said verdict against said defendant. To which ruling and judgment of the court the said defendant excepted, and prayed the court to sign and seal the said bill of exceptions, and to certify the facts proved upon said trial, all of which was accordingly done, and the court certified that the following were the facts proved, viz :
“That the defendant Jones resides in Manchester, and is an employee of the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company; that he is a special policeman, and duly sworn in as such by the authorities of the city; that on
“ ‘ City of Manchester, to-wit :
“ ‘To all or any one of the police officers of the city of Manchester:
‘“Whereas J. E. Jones has this day made complaint and information on oath, before me, James A. Clarke, mayor of said city, that on the 18th day of March, 1878, at said city, Sally Cousins did unlawfully take, steal and cany away a lot of railroad iron, the property of the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, of the value of fifty cents, from and out of the possession of the said railroad, against the peace and dignity of the commonwealth :
“ ‘ These are, therefore, in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to command you forthwith to apprehend and bring before me, or some other justice of the peace of said city, the body of the said Sally Cousins, to answer the said complaint, and to be further dealt with according to law. And, moreover, upon the arrest of the said Sally Cousins by virtue of this warrant, I command you, in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to summon J. E. Jones and Royall Haxall to appear at the mayor’s court as witnesses, to testify in behalf of the commonwealth against the said Sally Cousins, at 9 o’clock A. M. on the 19th day of March, 1878; that is to say, on the next day following the day of arrest; and have then and there this warrant, with your return thereon.
“ ‘ Given under my handthis 18th day of March, 1878.
“ Jas. A. Clarice, Mayor [Seal].’
44 4 The Commonwealth v. Sally Cousins:
ee £ Executed by arresting the within-named Sally Cousins and by summoning the within-named witnesses.
444 J. B. Fitzgerald, Police Ho. 1.
44£ Witnesses for defence: Arena Hughes, Wash. Williams, Belle Allen, Louisa Winfree, Andrew Crump.’
444 Mayor’s Office, March 19th, 1878.
44 4 The prisoner is discharged.
44 4 Jas. A. Clarke, Mayor.’
44 That at the trial the next morning of said Sally Cousins, the said Jones and Haxall appeared as witnesses and were examined; that upon examination Ilaxall só contradicted himself and broke down as to cause a general laugh; that the court discharged Sally Cousins for insufficiency of evidence to sustain the charges against her; that a warrant was then issued against Boyall Haxall for larceny; which warrant is as follows, to-wit:
44 4 City of Manchester, to-wit:
44 4 To all or any one of the police officers of the city of Manchester:
44 4 Whereas Jas. A. Lipscomb has this day made complaint and information on oath before me, James A. Clarke, mayor .of said city, that on the 19th day of March, 1878, at said city,1 Boyall Haxall did unlawfully take, steal and carry away a certain lot of railroad iron of the value of one dollar, the property of the Bich
“4 Given under my hand and seal this 19th day of March, 1878.
44 4 Jas. A. Clarke, Mayor [Seal].’
44 4 The following endorsation on the back of warrant, to-wit:
44 4 The Commonwealth v. Boyall Haxall—warrant.
44 4 Executed by arresting the within-named Boyall Haxall and by summoning the within-named witnesses.
44 4 J. A. Lipscomb, Chief of Police.
44 4 Bail is allowed in the sum of fifty dollars, and Junius E. Jones undertook as bail.
44 4Jas. A. Clarke.
“ ‘ The prisoner, Eoyall Haxall, is sent on to the present term of the hustings court of the city of Manchester to be further tried for the offence with which he stands charged before me. Bail is allowed in the sum of one hundred dollars, and himself and Junius E. Jones and Joseph entered as his bail in the amount required.
“‘Jas. A. Clarke, Mayor.’
“And that he applied for bail, and was bailed by said Jones for his appearance before the mayor on the 20th of March; that before his trial on the warrant for larceny, to-wit: on the morning of the 20th, before his case was called, he said he did not steal the iron; that Mr. Jones gave it to him to put it where it was found, and gave him drinks and promised to pay him for doing it, and that he did put it where it was found, as he had promised Jones to do; that he was seen to have half a dollar, which was unusual for him; that said Haxall was sent on to the grand jury of the hustings court for the larceny aforesaid; that after his confession he and Jones were arrested and sent on to the same court for conspiracy. Haxall was also sent on at the same time for perjury; which warrant is as follows:
“ ‘ City of Manchester, to-wit:
“ ‘To all or any one of the police officers of the city of Manchester:
‘“"Whereas Sally Cousins has this day made complaint and information on oath before me, James A. Clarke, mayor of said city, that on the 18th day of March, 1878, at said city, Junius E. Jones and Eoyall Haxall did unlawfully and feloniously conspire to charge one Sally Cousins with the larceny of a certain lot of railroad
“ ‘ Given under my hand and seal this 20th day of March, 1878.
“‘Jas. A. Clarke, Mayor [Seal].’
“ The following endorsation on the back of the warrant, to-wit:
■“‘The Commonwealth against Junius E. Jones and Royall Haxall:
‘“Warrant executed by arresting the within-named Junius E. Jones and Royall Haxall and by summoning the within-named witnesses: J. R. Fitzgerald, police Ho. 1; Wash. Williams, Relie Allen, Louisa Winfree, Andrew Crump, R. J. Cooper, Arena Hughes.
“‘Jas. A. Clarke.
“ ‘ The prisoner J. E. Jones is allowed bail in the sum of one hundred dollars, and James II. Phaup undertook as h'is bail in that sum for his appearance before the present term of the hustings court of Manchester, and the prisoner Boyall Haxall is remanded to jail to be further dealt •with at the same term of the court.
“ ‘Jas. A. Clarke, Mayor [Seal].’
“It wras further proven on the trial by Mr. Phaup that he was standing near the depot, when Jones and Haxall came where he was, and Jones said he wanted him (Phaup) to give Haxall some pieces of railroad iron, to be used by Haxall as samples; that Ilaxall had asked him for them, and he could not give them to him without his (Phaup’s) consent; that Haxall refused to tell him (Jones) when he asked for the old iron whom he suspected, but that he (Phaup) left Jones at the platform; Jones asked him to stay, but he gave as his reason that it would cost the railroad company more for him (Phaup) to be detained in court as a witness than the detecting of the thief would profit the company.
“Phaup also testified that the two fish-plates found on Sally Cousins’ premises, among a lot of other old iron exhibited to the jury in court (and which Ilaxall had confessed he put there), wmre exactly like those he delivered to Haxall through Jones, if they were not the same; he could not say they were the same—there were so many of them alike—but they were just like those he gave him.
“That when the Commonwealth offered to introduce in evidence the declarations of Haxall, the defendant
“‘The court instructs the jury that, in passing upon the guilt or innocence of the prisoner J. E. Jones, they must discard entirely from their consideration the declarations-of Royall Iiaxall, they having been made by said Haxall after the conspiracy charged was completed and ended; ’ also, ‘the court instructs the jury that they cannot find either party guilty of the conspiracy as charged in the indictment unless they believe from the evidence that there was an agreement of mind between the two to do and perform the matters and things as charged in the said indictment.’
“ And the court certifies that the foregoing were all the facts proved on said trial.
“William I. Clopton [Seal.]”
There can be no doubt about the correctness of the instruction given by the court to the jury, as stated in the said certificate of facts, “ that in passing upon the guilt or innocence of the prisoner J. E. Jones they must discard entirely from their consideration the declarations of Royall Haxall, they having been made by said Haxall after the conspiracy charged was completed and ended,” supposing that any such conspiracy in fact existed. If no such conspiracy in fact existed, then of course the said declaration must be so discarded. On the trial of an indictment against several for conspiracy, declarations made by one defendant, out of the presence of the rest, in regal'd to the subject matter of the indictment, are admissible evidence of the charge against all of the defendants ; provided that there was in fact a conspiracy between them as charged in the indictment, and that the said declarations were made in the course of the con
The said declarations of the defendant Iiaxall having been properly excluded from the consideration of the jury in passing upon the guilt or innocence of the defendant J. E. Jones, the question is, whether the remaining facts certified as proved on the trial of the case were sufficient to warrant his conviction of the offence charged in the indictment ?
Without repeating those facts, or making any special comments upon them in this opinion, we are decidedly of opinion that they were not. At most they make out no more than a case of suspicion against that defendant, and fall short of what is necessary to his conviction.
We are, therefore, of opinion that the court below erred in overruling the motion of the defendant Jones to set aside the said verdict as to himself, and award him a new trial upon the ground that the said verdict was contrary to the evidence.
It follows that for that error the judgment rendered against the said defendant Jones must be reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial as to him, according to the principles hereinbefore declared.
But an interesting question yet remains to be considered and disposed of, and that is, whether in such a case a judgment can be reversed, a verdict set aside, and a new trial granted as to one defendant and not as to the other, even thougli that other neither obtained nor applied for any .writ of error, nor complained in any way of the verdict or judgment against him.
The general rule seems, therefore, to be that on conviction of several defendants on a joint indictment for conspiracy, the reversal of the judgment and award-of a new trial as to one of the defendants must operate* alike as to all. This may be reasonable enough as a general rule, and is no doubt the general rule. To constitute a conspiracy it must be the act of at least two persons ; so that, generally, if one of them be acquitted, such acquittal takes away the foundation of the guilt of the other, who must be acquitted also.
But there may be exceptions to the rule, and this case seems to be such an exception. Here there was evidence of certain declarations by Haxall which was good evidence to prove his guilt, and were sufficient, with the
We are, therefore, of opinion that a reversal of the judgment as to Jones does not operate a reversal as to Ilaxall.
The court is of opinion, for reasons stated in writing and filed with the record, that the said hustings court did not err in overruling the motion of the defendant Junius E. Jones to permit him to sever from the other defendant, that he might be tried separately and apart from the said other defendant for the offence charged against them jointly as they were indicted, as stated in “bill of exceptions’Ho. 1;” nor in overruling the motion of the said defendant Jones to reject the testimony as to the admissions and declarations of the defendant Haxall set out in “ bill of exceptions Ho. 2; ” this court concurring in the opinion expressed in said bill of exceptions, “that the evidence was admissible as evidence on the joint trial.”
But the court is further of opinion, for reasons stated as aforesaid, that the said hustings court did err in overruling the motion of the said defendant Jones to set aside the verdict of the jury as to himself and award him a new trial, upon the ground that it was contrary to the evidence, and in proceeding to render judgment upon said verdict against said defendant, as stated in “bill of exceptions Ho. 3; ” this court concurring in the opinion of the court below on which was founded the instructions to the jury embodied in the said bill of exceptions, “that in passing upon the guilt or innocence of the prisoner J. E. Jones they must discard entirely from their consideration the declarations of Royall Haxall, they having been made by said Haxall after the conspiracy charged was completed and ended,” and also “ that they cannot find either party guilty of the conspiracy as charged in the indictment, unless they believe from the evidence that there was an agreement of mind between the two to do and perform the matters and things as charged in the said indictment.”
But this court being further of opinion that after dis
Hut the court is of opinion, for reasons stated as aforesaid, that the reversal of the judgment against the defendant Jones does not operate as a reversal of the judgment against the defendant Haxall on the joint indictment against them aforesaid, which latter judgment is therefore to remain unaffected by the proceedings and judgment in this cause; which is ordered to be certified to the said hustings court of the city of Manchester.
Judgment reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jones v. The Commonwealth
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. When two persons are indicted jointly for a conspiracy to prosecute another for a larceny, neither of them is entitled to a separate trial. 2. In such a case where both are on trial the confessions of one of them in the absence of the other, made after the conspiracy charged in the indictment was completed and ended, are properly admitted as evidence. And when all the evidence has been introduced; the court should then instruct the jury, that, in passing upon the guilt of the other party, they must discard from their consideration the said admissions, they having been made after the conspiracy was completed and ended. 3. In such case the jury cannot find either party guilty of the conspiracy as charged in the indictment, unless they believe from the evidence that there was an agreement of mind between the two to do and perform the matters and things as charged in the indictment. 4. In such case, both the defendants having been found guilty, one of them applies for a new trial, which is overruled, and he obtains a writ of error. The other does not apply for a new trial, and there is a judgment against him. The judgment may he reversed as to the one who appeals, without reversing the judgment against the other, who did not apply for a new trial.