Case ID: sw_246/html/0664-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "MORROW, P. J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

RILEY v. STATE.
    (No. 7306.)
    (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
    Jan. 10, 1923.)
    Criminal law <§=406(2) — Admitting sheriff’s testimony of admissions of accused while in ' custody unwarned held error.
    In a prosecution for theft, the admission of testimony by the sheriff of admissions made by accused while in custody not under the circumstances authorized by Code Cr. Proc. 1911, art. 810, requiring warning, held reversible error.
    Appeal from Eratli County Court; Wm. Arch Jones, Judge.
    Jeff Riley was convicted of theft, and he appeals.
    Reversed! and remanded.
    Oxford & Johnson, of Stephenville, for appellant.
    R. G. Storey, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.
   MORROW, P. J.

The conviction is for theft; punishment fixed at a fine of $250 and confinement in the county jail for a period of one year.

The evidence is circumstantial but sufficient to support the finding of the jury that the appellant was connected with the theft of eight chickens. The sheriff gave original testimony in behalf of the state to the effect that the appellant, after he was arrested and while in custody, stated that—

“He had gotten the chickens northwest of Stephenville. He said he bought them. I cannot call the man’s name that he said he bought them from.”

Timely and proper objection was. urged against the receipt of this testimony upon the ground that it was obnoxious to the statutory rule against the receipt in evidence against one accused of crime of his confession not made under the circumstances authorized by article 810, Code of Crim. Procedure. In the syllabus in the case of Hernan v. State, 42 Tex. Cr. R. 464, 60 S. W. 766, there is embraced what is conceived to be a correct interpretation of the statute in these words:

“A confession or admission of an inculpatory fact by a defendant, where he is under arrest and unwarned, cannot be used as evidence against him. Any fact or circumstances involved in a statement by defendant while in jail or under arrest, and when he has not been cautioned, which may be used by the state as a criminative or inculpatory fact against him, comes within statutory rule as to confession,' although- the same may not be technically a confession or admission. And defendant cannot be impeached as to such statements.”

Other eases supporting this rule axe collated in Dover’s Case, 81 Tex. Cr. R. 553, 197 S. W. 192. On the subject, see, also, Dodd v. State, 82 Tex. Cr. R. 139, 198 S. W. 783; Willoughby v. State, 87 Tex. Cr. R. 40, 219 S. W. 468; Mayzone v. State (Tex. Cr. App.) 225 S. W. 55.

The receipt of the evidence was-erroneous. It was susceptible to the construction by the jury as an admission on the part of the appellant that be was in possession of the stolen chickens. Their identity was a contested question of fact, and ft cannot be said that the error was not harmful.

The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded. '