Case Title: State v. Miles

Citation: 191 Kan. 457, 382 P.2d 307

Docket Number: 42,990

State: kansas

Court: Kansas Supreme Court

Date: 1963-06-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
191 Kan. 457 (1963)
382 P.2d 307
STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee,
v.
WESLEY COOPER MILES, SR., Appellant.
No. 42,990

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed June 8, 1963.
Don Wyman, of Hutchinson, waived oral argument and was on the briefs for the appellant.
*458 Michael E. Chalfant, county attorney, argued the cause and Richard J. Rome and Raymond F. Berkley, assistant county attorneys, were with him on the briefs for the appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
JACKSON, J.:
The appellant was convicted of statutory rape. The object of appellant's attention was his own stepdaughter, thirteen years of age. It is conceded that Wesley Cooper Miles, Sr., normally slept with his wife Julia Ann and also with Dora Charlene Ogle, his wife's daughter.
Dora testified that on the morning of July 28, 1961, she was occupying the bed with only her stepfather and that both were nude. That she had sexual intercourse with her stepfather on the bed and that her mother had been present at the time the act was done.
It is true that on cross examination, Dora admitted that she had told different stories about this matter at different times.
Although there seems to be no doubt that Julia Ann, wife of defendant, signed the complaint against her husband, she testified in his defense at the trial.
Detective Mangels of the police force was questioned as follows:
"Q. What was his reply?
"(Witness continues with his answer:)
"A. That is right."
The appellant argues three matters as error. The first proposition is that the assistant county attorney offered himself as a witness. Appellant objected to Mr. Smith being allowed to testify as to the statements made by Julia Ann Miles. The court on finding that two detectives were also present when Julia made her statement sustained the objection and excluded Mr. Smith as a witness. It had been said that Mr. Smith would have withdrawn from the case as an attorney as soon as he gave his testimony. But the rule is that the attorney must withdraw before testifying, and the court was quite right in excluding Mr. Smith as a witness.
Appellant now objects that Mr. Smith was allowed to make part of the argument at the close of the case. The trial court held that he could do so, because he had not been a witness nor had he testified to a material matter. The rule is quite clear in this state that when an attorney finds he must testify for his client or against the opposing party, he must withdraw immediately as attorney. In the case of State v. Bechtelheimer, 151 Kan. 582, 100 P.2d 657, we had an illustration which is quite similar to the case at bar. In the Bechtelheimer case, the late Elisha Scott offered to testify on behalf of his own client. However, the court refused to allow him to testify as long as he was in the case as an attorney. Mr. Scott did not testify although the defendant in that case had three other attorneys. Mr. Scott continued to act on behalf of his client and was chief counsel on the appeal to this court. No one argued on the appeal that Mr. Scott was not eligible to continue to act in the case since he had not been a witness although he had endeavored to be. Mr. Scott did not offer to withdraw as counsel. We think Mr. Smith was no more a witness in this case than Mr. Scott was in the cited case. We find no error here.
Appellant's next objection is that statements of Dora and of appellant's wife were read to the jury along with certain statements by the appellant. We have quoted some of the statements above.
In the case State v. Cruse, 112 Kan. 486, at page 494, 212 Pac. 81, it was said:
"[Objection  overruled.]
See State v. Boswell, 119 Kan. 670, 240 Pac. 848; and also State v. Davis, 133 Kan. 571, 300 Pac. 1114. The point here involved is covered in the second paragraph of the syllabus and corresponding part of the opinion in the Davis case. And further see annotation 80 A.L.R. 1235.
Lastly, appellant objects to the testimony of Garland E. Lemley, who was connected with a private investigating company. He testified that he talked with Julia Miles on the morning of the 28th of July. He said he noticed a large bruise on her left arm, extending *461 almost from the elbow to the shoulder. He stated that Julia said she received the bruise from her husband, which was contrary to the evidence she gave when she testified in defense of her husband at which time she said the police twisted her arm and made her sign the complaint in this case. As to a rebuttal witness, we believe it was permissible to admit the above statement. In Williams v. Hendrickson, 189 Kan. 673, at p. 677, 371 P.2d 188, it is said: "It is a well-established rule in this jurisdiction that prior statements must be inconsistent with the witness' testimony for purposes of impeachment. (Hancock v. Bevins, 135 Kan. 195, 9 P.2d 634.)"
We have dealt with appellant's specifications of error and find that the trial court committed no reversible error. We must told that the judgment of conviction is affirmed. It is so ordered.