State v. Hawkins
State v. Hawkins
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Appellant was convicted of murder in the first degree, and judgment and sentence of execution was pronounced. From such judgment appeal is taken to this court. The first assignment of error is that the court erred in permitting Hon. Henry McBride, the lieutenant governor of this state, to appear and prosecute said defendant. This assignment is based upon the fact that the law creates the governor of this state a court of mercy, in which is vested the pardoning power and the right to commute the death sentence; that under the law the party appealing for pardon or commutation has a right to appeal to an impartial tribunal, and that a prosecuting officer cannot be such an impartial tribunal. But, without passing upon the question of whether or not in ordinary circumstances the law places any inhibition upon the right of the lieutenant governor to appear in the prosecution of a person accused of an offense against the laws of the state, in this instance
The second contention is that the court erred in sustaining the objection of the prosecution to the following question, “In what condition did you find Hamilton in the jail when you went in after him ?” Witness had testified to the condition of Hamilton, the defendant, as to being sober prior to the shooting, but had not testified or been called upon to testify in relation to his condition after he had gone to the jail, and the question was in no sense proper cross-examination. It may have been competent for the defendant to prove his condition after he had been confined in the j ail, but if so it could be proven only by direct testimony, or on cross-examination where the witness had testified to his condition at that time and place.
The next contention is that it was error for the proser cuting attorney in his opening argument to comment to the jury on the fact that the defendant failed to put witnesses on the stand to prove his good character, and that that error was not cured by an instruction from thejudgeto the jury to disregard such comments. Immediately upon
These being all the errors assigned, the judgment is affirmed.
Reavis, C. J., and White, Mount, Fullerton, Anders and Hadley, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Washington v. Alfred Hawkins
- Cited By
- 8 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- CRIMINAL LAW-LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AS COUNSEL FOR PROSECUTION-HARMLESS ERROR. The fact that the lieutenant governor assisted the prosecuting attorney in the prosecution of one accused of murder would not constitute error by reason of the possibility of the lieutenant governor succeeding to the office of governor and being called upon to exercise the power to pardon or commute the sentence of convicts, where the lieutenant governor had been associated in the prosecution of the case prior to his election to the office, and had received whatever impressions against the accused he might have while still a private individual. WITNESS-CROSS-EXAMINATION. Where a witness had testified on direct examination as to the sobriety of accused prior to the shooting, but had not been called upon to testify as to his condition after he had been put in jail, it was proper for the court to exclude cross-examination of the witness as to what condition he found the accused in jail when the witness went in after him. ARGUMENT OP COUNSEL-ERROR CURED BY INSTRUCTIONS. Improper argument of the prosecuting attorney in commenting on the fact that the defendant failed to put witnesses on the stand to prove his good character was cured by the immediate instruction of the court that the jury should not consider any remarks made by counsel reflecting upon the character of the defendant, as his character was presumed to be good.