Case Title: State v. Daniels

Citation: 106 Ariz. 497, 478 P.2d 522

Docket Number: 

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1970-12-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
106 Ariz. 497 (1970) 478 P.2d 522 STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Albert M. DANIELS, Appellant. No. 1997. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Division. December 28, 1970. *498 Gary K. Nelson, Atty. Gen., by Carl Waag, Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee. *499 Ross P. Lee, Public Defender by James H. Kemper, Deputy Public Defender, Phoenix, for appellant. McFARLAND, Justice: Appellant, Albert M. Daniels, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was granted this delayed appeal from his conviction by a jury on December 20, 1965, of burglary, first degree. He was sentenced to serve not less than ten nor more than eleven years in the Arizona State Penitentiary. From his conviction and sentence he appeals. On February 4, 1965, at approximately 11:30 p.m., defendant was observed in a clothing store packing items in a zipper bag. The witness noted the glass in the door was partly broken out, and when he shouted the defendant exited from the store through that opening. Defendant was apprehended in a nearby alley by police, and was never out of the sight of the witness. When stopped by the police the defendant threw down the bag and without instructions to do so assumed a leaning position against the wall with arms overhead in a typical police search manner. Defendant was at that time wearing a jacket identified as part of the stolen merchandise. Following his arrest defendant made a written admission in which he denied only the breaking of the glass in the door. After three months confinement in the county jail in lieu of bond his attorney noted defendant appeared unable to assist with his defense, and moved the court for a mental examination under Rule 250, Rules of Crim. Proc., 17 A.R.S. On May 8, 1965, defendant was committed to the Arizona State Hospital where he remained until his discharge on November 3, 1965. Seven days before his trial, on December 13, 1965, defendant filed notice of his intention to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. At his trial defendant's sole witness was the Phoenix psychiatrist who had examined him on May 8th, and his principal testimony was as follows: Defendant did not testify at the trial. The investigating officer testified that defendant was "quiet and very cooperative" and not abnormal in any way, and that "his level of intelligence seemed above what we normally come in contact with from people in the area in which he was arrested." The officer and defendant testified in chambers concerning defendant's statement and certain letters written by defendant during the first weeks of his confinement in the county jail. The trial court found that the statement was voluntary, and that defendant had the mental capacity necessary to waive his constitutional right to refrain from making such statement. Defendant's principal contention on appeal is that having offered expert testimony that he was not sane at the time of the act in question he must be absolved of criminal responsibility, and the court erred in not directing a verdict for defendant since the State failed to put on expert testimony to show that defendant knew the nature and quality of his act and that he knew his act was wrong. In State v. Cano, 103 Ariz. 37, 436 P.2d 586, we said: *500 We held, in State v. Crose, 88 Ariz. 389, 357 P.2d 136: The weight to be given evidence including expert opinions is a question for the jury. Defendant further contends that it was error for the court to instruct the jury that there is a presumption defendant was sane when he committed the act. He maintains that the presumption of sanity vanished when defendant made it an issue and cites State v. Schantz, 98 Ariz. 200, 403 P.2d 521; State v. Martin, 102 Ariz. 142, 426 P.2d 639. In State v. Martin, supra, we said: In State v. Martin, supra, we cited Howard v. United States, 232 F.2d 274 (5th Cir.); Jenkins v. State, 238 Md. 451, 209 A.2d 616; and State v. Iverson, 77 Idaho 103, 289 P.2d 603, among others, as cases supporting our position which cases hold that the presumption of sanity continues through the trial and is rebutted by the defendant creating a reasonable doubt as to his sanity in the minds of the jury. In Howard v. United States, supra, the court said: In Jenkins v. State, supra, the court held: In State v. Iverson, supra, the court said: People v. Tobin, 176 N.Y. 278, 68 N.E. 359; and People v. Munroe, 15 Ill. 2d 91, 154 N.E.2d 225, are cited in State v. Martin, supra, and also cited, among others, in Underhill's Criminal Evidence, 5th Edition, § 453, which states that the majority of cases Recently this Court, in State v. Blazak, 105 Ariz. 216, 462 P.2d 84, pointed out that the legislature did not intend to change the burden of proof as it existed at the time § 13-1621.01 A.R.S., as amended, was enacted. Such statute provides "The multiple trial concept shall not affect the traditional burden of proof or the applicability of (A.R.S.) 13-131." Section 13-131 provides: This section comes to us from California Penal Code, §§ 20 and 21, taken from the Statutes of 1850, C & P § 3, which read: The latter portion is now found in § 13-135, A.R.S. Such laws create presumptions of intent, sanity, and an affirmative defense, and in 1864, the California Supreme Court held, in People v. Coffman, 24 Cal. 230: The court in its instruction informs the jury of the law as applicable to facts and then the affirmative defenses which have been placed in evidence, such as § 13-132, A.R.S., Effect of Intoxication; § 13-134, supra, Certain Exceptions From Punishment; § 13-135, Incapacity, as well as other affirmative defenses, most of which are submitted to the jury with evidence presented by the defendant, and are sustained in the event he has created a reasonable doubt. Because of the presumption of innocence in Arizona declared by statute, the State must carry the burden of proving all elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Mental capacity to commit a crime is a material part of total guilt for there can be no crime without mens rea. If a defendant introduces sufficient evidence to raise a doubt as to his sanity under the Rule of M'Naghten the burden of the State is to establish beyond a reasonable doubt the converse. State v. Martin, supra; State v. Schantz, supra. In its efforts to do so, the State is aided by the presumption of sanity since statutory presumptions do not vanish as do presumptions of law or fact. Udall on Evidence, § 193. We believe it proper for the court to charge on the presumption of sanity when an issue, since if as a matter of law the court determined from the evidence that the defendant lacked the mental capacity he would then be required to direct a verdict of acquittal. Placing the burden upon the defendant is fair and necessary, since the defendant can resist efforts of the State to obtain a complete or timely examination, or secure copies of defendant's doctor's reports. Steward v. Superior Court of Maricopa County, 94 Ariz. 279, 383 P.2d 191; Moore v. State, 105 Ariz. 510, 467 P.2d 904. In the instant case notice of intention to plead not guilty by reason of insanity was filed seven days before trial and ten months after the commission of the crime. It is apparent that the State would have difficulty obtaining reliable expert evidence to meet the issue of sanity if the law was as claimed by defendant. Whether a doubt was raised in the minds of the jury to rebut the presumption of sanity cannot be determined by the court. The weight to be given the evidence is a question for the jury. Therefore, the jury was properly instructed to the effect that a reasonable doubt of defendant's sanity at the time of the crime should be resolved in favor of defendant, and, if a reasonable doubt is found, it should return a verdict of not guilty. It is not inconsistent for a court to instruct that there is a presumption of sanity and a presumption of innocence. As this Court held, in State v. Childress, 78 Ariz. 1, 274 P.2d 333: Defendant next contends that the State failed to establish that defendant was guilty of burglary, first degree, in that there was no proof that the entry was made in the night time. Defendant was discovered at 11:30 p.m. in the act of collecting merchandise. From defendant's statement, the testimony of the store owner as to the usual closing time, and the fact that the crime took place on February 4th, the jury could properly conclude that the burglary occurred in the night time without evidence of the time of "sunset" on the date in question. In his final contention defendant contends that the court erred by commenting on the evidence in its instruction on the voluntariness of the statement or confession. The court instructed the jury it could not consider the confession or statement unless it was found to be voluntarily made. The defendant complains about the statement in which the court, at the beginning of the instruction, stated that; The court made no comment on the voluntariness of the statement and carefully instructed the jury it should disregard any asserted admissions or confessions unless "you yourselves," after weighing the evidence charging credibility of witnesses "and your own reasonable deductions" conclude that the alleged admissions or confessions were not only made but were made voluntarily. The only question was the voluntariness of the admissions or confessions. There was no comment by the court in regard to their voluntariness. Furthermore, no objection was made to the instruction, and the court, at the request of the defendant, gave an additional instruction that the jury must determine the truthfulness of the statements. Taken as a whole, the instructions were complete and adequate. We held, in State v. Norgard, 103 Ariz. 381, 442 P.2d 544: We find the contention of the defendant that there was prejudicial error unfounded. Judgment affirmed. LOCKWOOD, C.J., and STRUCKMEYER, V.C.J., concur.