Case Title: State v. McDonald

Citation: 231 Or. 24, 361 P.2d 1001

Docket Number: 

State: oregon

Court: Oregon Supreme Court

Date: 1961-05-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
Affirmed May 10, 1961.
Petition for rehearing denied June 13, 1961.
Certiorari denied May 28, 1962.
*25 William B. Murray, Portland, argued the cause and filed briefs for the appellant.
Oscar D. Howlett, Deputy District Attorney, Portland, argued the cause for respondent. With him on *26 the brief was Charles E. Raymond, District Attorney, Portland.
Before McALLISTER, Chief Justice, and ROSSMAN, WARNER, PERRY, SLOAN, O'CONNELL and GOODWIN, Justices.
Certiorari denied U.S. Supreme Court May 28, 1962.
AFFIRMED.
PERRY, J.
The defendant appeals from a conviction of purposely and maliciously using explosives with intent to injure the property of another.
The evidence in this case discloses that the defendant Levi McDonald was a member of the Stereotypers Union; that this union called a strike against the Oregonian Publishing Company, publisher of the Oregonian, a newspaper of wide general circulation in the city of Portland and the state of Oregon; that the Oregonian is printed in Portland, Oregon, and in order to distribute its newspaper to certain areas in the state the Oregonian Publishing Company entered into an agreement with the George McBreen Truck Company, a contract carrier, to transport its papers. The Publishing Company continued to publish its newspaper despite the strike of the Stereotypers Union and the defendant, who was a negotiator for the union, determined upon a course of harassment of the Publishing Company for the purpose of requiring the Company to suspend its publication, thus forcing it to accede to the union demands. One of his plans was to destroy the trucks which were used to distribute the newspapers. This plan led to the dynamiting of the trucks operated by the McBreen Truck Company and eventually to the defendant's indictment and conviction of the crime of using explosives with intent to injure property of another.
*27 Defendant first contends that ORS 164.830, the statute which creates the offense and prescribes the penalty, is unconstitutional in three particulars:
ORS 164.830 provides:
Defendant's principal attack upon the statute seems to be based upon the misconception that the grand jury may determine whether or not a person charged under the act may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor or a felony, for he relies upon State of Oregon v. Pirkey, 203 Or 697, 281 P2d 698. The statute in question in State of Oregon v. Pirkey (Or Laws 1949, ch *28 129, § 1) provided that a person "* * * may be proceeded against either as for a misdemeanor or as for a felony, in the discretion of the grand jury or the magistrate to whom the complaint is made * * *," and it was held that such a statute, delegating to the grand jury or magistrate the right to determine in advance of conviction whether the crime committed was a felony or misdemeanor, violated the equal protection clause of the federal and state constitutions.
The statute under which the defendant was convicted makes no provision for a prior determination by the grand jury or examining magistrate as to whether a defendant shall be prosecuted for a felony or a misdemeanor. It only provides that the court in passing sentence may exercise its discretion as to the extent of the punishment to be imposed.
ORS 161.030 provides:
1. This statute clearly points out that where the crime committed is punishable by "imprisonment in the penitentiary * * * [or] by a fine or imprisonment in a county jail," the crime committed is a felony for *29 all purposes until such time as a sentence has been imposed which does not commit the offender to the penitentiary or the Oregon State Correctional Institution. State v. Steagall, 214 Or 116, 328 P2d 142. It, therefore, follows that the grand jury or magistrate must treat all offenders against the act equally and indict or not indict each for a felony.
The fact that the legislature has granted discretion to the trial court to sentence one offender for a lesser or greater period of punishment does not make the act unconstitutional as denying equality of all persons before the law. Howard v. Fleming, 191 US 126, 24 S Ct 49, 48 L Ed 121.
We find the foregoing contentions of the defendant without merit.
The defendant assigns as error the refusal of the trial court to quash or dismiss the indictment or grant his motion for a directed verdict of acquittal, because the names of three witnesses were not endorsed on the indictment.
The record discloses the defendant was first indicted for the crime of which he was convicted February 13, 1960. The grand jury had heard three court reporters who were subpoened and gave testimony relative to confessions and admissions made by alleged accomplices of the defendant. Their names were endorsed on this indictment as witnesses. A motion to set aside this indictment was made by the defendant and before a ruling was had on this motion the State moved for dismissal of the indictment. This motion was granted and a new indictment was returned on February 24, 1960, by the same constituted grand jury which had considered the first indictment. The second indictment was the one upon which the defendant *30 was tried and convicted. None of the court reporters were subpoened or appeared and testified when the second indictment was returned. Their names were not endorsed upon the second indictment, nor were they called to testify in the trial of the case.
This identical question was before this court in State v. Andrews, 35 Or 388, 389-391, 58 P 765, and we stated:
A re-examination of the statutes and the purposes underlying their enactment lead us to the conclusion that we were then in error.
ORS 132.580 provides:
ORS 135.510 provides:
2. There can be little question but that the purpose of the requirement of endorsement of the names upon the indictment at the time of presentment is for the purpose of advising the defendant of those persons who will give evidence in the trial against him so that he can intelligently prepare his defense and avoid surprise. State v. Warren, 41 Or 348, 69 P 679. This is a substantial right that is inherent in the American judicial conception of fair play, but the enforcement for failure to comply with this mandatory requirement rests in the rule that a witness who has appeared before the grand jury may not, if his name is not endorsed on the indictment, testify at the trial over the objection of a defendant. State v. Warren, supra; People v. Koukol, 262 Mich 529, 247 NW 738.
In reaching the conclusion in the case of State v. Andrews, supra, that all witnesses who appeared before the grand jury must be endorsed upon the indictment when presented, the court failed to take into consideration the requirement of ORS 132.320 (formerly § 26-506, OCLA) which provides:
This enactment directs the grand jury in its deliberations to consider only such evidence presented before it as would be competent in the trial of the cause. It is well known that many persons may be called to testify before a grand jury and after their appearance *33 it is discovered through their examination that they are unable to give factual knowledge which would be competent in the trial of the cause.
3. When these statutes are considered together, it becomes clear the legislative intention was to require endorsement of the names of only those witnesses whom the grand jury believes can give competent evidence which will support a verdict of guilty and whose evidence it is expected will be used to confront the accused on the trial of the cause. It would only increase the burden for a defendant to be required to prepare his defense and avoid surprise if names are endorsed on the information whose testimony cannot be used in the trial of the accused. His rights are fully protected when he has been informed of the witnesses who will be called to testify against him.
It could not have been the legislative intent to require the doing of an act which would be without benefit to either the State or an accused. Therefore, it appears that the legislative intent was expressed to make the requirement of the statute  that "the names of the witnesses examined before the grand jury must be * * * indorsed thereon"  mandatory only as to those who gave competent evidence upon which an indictment could be returned and who could be used as witnesses in the trial of the cause. 4 Wharton's Criminal Law and Procedure 547, Indictment and Information § 1757.
It then becomes equally clear that the mandatory requirement of section (2) of ORS 135.510 refers to the failure to list the names of sufficient witnesses upon the indictment to support a verdict of guilty if found by a trial jury, not to the failure to endorse the name of some person who has appeared as a witness before *34 the grand jury. When there is a total failure of endorsement, or the failure to endorse a sufficient number of named persons to support a verdict of guilty if found (e.g., where corroboration is required to sustain a conviction), a presumption immediately arises that the grand jury has indicted from bias or mere caprice and not upon competent evidence as required by statute. Such a showing overcomes the presumption of regularity of the proceedings and the statute directs a dismissal of the indictment.
The defendant also assigns as error the refusal of the trial court to sustain his motion to quash the indictment upon which he was tried because the grand jury had heard hearsay evidence when the prior indictment was returned which it could not be expected to ignore, and, further, because of the publicity surrounding the matter, the grand jury could not act in an impartial manner.
4. The defendant construes ORS 132.320, which we heretofore quoted, in its strict literal sense. It should be remembered that a grand jury is an investigating and accusatory body consisting, not of lawyers and jurists, but of laymen who have no power to determine the guilt of an accused, and we cannot, therefore, believe it was the intention of the legislature to require that the grand jury should hear only such testimony as would be competent in a court of law. We doubt that there are many grand juries which have not been subjected to hearsay testimony during their investigations. This statute is admonitory in character only, not mandatory, advising the grand jury to disregard incompetent evidence in returning an indictment and to consider evidence only of such character that it may be used in the trial to support a conviction of the accused.
*35 Since the function of a grand jury is investigatory and accusatory, an examination of the questions raised by the defendant reveals that the underlying question is the right of a trial court to examine into the deliberations of the grand jury and determine whether or not it heard and considered hearsay testimony or was prejudiced by the publicity surrounding the incidents and upon this basis returned the indictment.
ORS 132.390 provides:
5. There can be no question that when an accusatory indictment is returned there is a presumption that the grand jury has acted in accordance with the admonition of this statute and ORS 132.320, supra. State v. Belding, 43 Or 95, 71 P 330. Since, as previously pointed out, this presumption is only overcome when there is a total failure to endorse the names of any witnesses upon the returned indictment, it must follow, under the well-settled rule in the majority of jurisdictions, including the state of Oregon, that the fact a grand jury may have been prejudiced by hearsay evidence or prejudicial publicity which it ought not to consider is not grounds for dismissing or quashing an indictment, for the trial court would then be required to inquire into and determine in advance of each trial the sufficiency of all of the evidence to sustain or reject an indictment, which it may not do. State v. Kelliher, 49 Or 77, 88 P 867; see Note, 59 ALR 573; 31 ALR 1479.
The defendant also assigns as error the failure of *36 the trial court to grant his motion for a change of venue and for a continuance.
The defendant admitted he was not prejudiced by the failure to grant a change of venue for the reason the publicity surrounding his indictment and arrest permeated the entire state, but he strenuously contends that this same publicity was so inflammatory and prejudicial that at the time he was required to go to trial an impartial jury could not be selected to grant him a fair and impartial trial.
6, 7. A trial court's ruling upon a motion for a continuance will be disturbed on appeal only for manifest abuse of its discretion. State v. Payne, 195 Or 624, 244 P2d 1025; State v. Leland, 190 Or 598, 227 P2d 785; State v. Mizis, 48 Or 165, 85 P 611, 86 P 361; State v. Hawkins, 18 Or 476, 23 P 475. And this rule applies where the postponement is asked, as here, for the purpose of a "cooling-off period on the part of the public mind." State v. Sack, 210 Or 552, 575, 300 P2d 427.
The defendant bases his principal contention upon the fact the newspapers were permitted to publish, prior to the defendant's trial, detailed confessions made by alleged accomplices of the defendant as to their own and defendant's participation in the bombing of the trucks, and, therefore, these stories must have inflamed the public mind against him. Also, "[t]he District Attorney waited until April 9th, approximately two weeks before the date set for defendant's trial on the newspaper truck bombing charge, to create further adverse public opinion against the defendant by causing him to be indicted for the stink bomb incident in a drug store. The statements Caryl Forbish was reported to have made to investigators and the District Attorney's office incriminating the defendant had been given great publicity which intensified the *37 general public hostility toward the defendant shortly before the present case was due to be heard."
The question of the effect of publicity upon the trial of an accused and how best to protect him from the prejudicial effects thereof has given the courts of this country much concern. See Controlling Press and Radio Influence on Trials, 63 Harvard Law Rev. 840 (1950). Slanted and exaggerated newspaper, radio and television reports of a defendant's activities, both before and subsequent to his accusation of a crime, undoubtedly, to some extent, adversely effect an accused in his defense. The full extent of this effect is for the time being a matter of conjecture. There is at this time no provision of law to subject each judge and juror to a psychological examination. The Judge and prospective jurors are all human beings, subject to all of the frailties of human nature, but until such time as a more exact method of determining the psychological effect of such prior reports and the length of time that must elapse before the average human being's reaction thereto is completely deadened is discovered, the courts to a large extent in setting the time of trial must rely upon their own impressions of the existing situation.
8, 9. However, there is nothing in the record before us that indicates the prior newspaper, radio and television expose created a hostile atmosphere that carried over into the trial. The trial court permitted extensive examination of each prospective juror as to what he had read and heard concerning the case and as to the influence it might have upon him as a juror. We must presume, as did the trial court, that the answers of each juror were honestly given. Therefore, while pretrial publicity prevents an idealistic approach to the trial of a person accused of a crime and is to be *38 deplored, it cannot be said in this case that the publicity was so inflammatory or so slanted that an honest and impartial jury could not be selected whereby the defendant could receive a fair and impartial trial at the time he was tried, or that the trial was not conducted in "an atmosphere of judicial calm." 14 Am Jur 853, Criminal Law § 130.
The defendant also contends that the trial court erred in permitting a witness, Caryl Roger Forbish, to testify that at the instigation of and with the aid of the defendant a stink bomb was set off in a drugstore in the Oregonian Building, because the owners of the drugstore were not in sympathy with the strike.
It is the contention of the defendant that this particular crime was not germane to the question of whether or not he was guilty of the crime with which he was charged in the indictment, thus violating, to his prejudice, the rule set forth in State v. La Jesse, 132 Or 401, 286 P 149; State v. Ewing, 174 Or 487, 149 P2d 765, and State v. Jensen, 70 Or 156, 140 P 740.
The record discloses that the witness Forbish had been well-acquainted with the defendant for several years; that on several occasions they discussed various means and methods of causing harm to the Oregonian Publishing Company, for the purpose of causing it to suspend publication of its newspaper. The witness testified as follows:
*43 Later the witness testified as follows:
*46 10. No specific objection was made to the testimony relative to the defendant's actual participation in the crime relative to the throwing of the stink bomb. The reasoning sustaining the rule of a continuing objection is based upon the proposition that "when an objection has once been acted upon and overruled it need not be repeated to the same class of evidence since it may be assumed that the trial court will adhere to the ruling throughout the trial." The objection, however, has efficacy only when the adverse ruling was erroneous. Noteboom v. Savin, 213 Or 583, 589, 322 P2d 916, 326 P2d 772.
11. There is no doubt that all of the testimony sought to be suppressed was properly admitted by the trial court. While the witness testified the action of the defendant in causing the stink bomb to be placed in the drugstore was not to harass the Oregonian Publishing Company, but because "he didn't feel too friendly toward the people who ran that drugstore in the Oregonian Building," it is evident, when considered with the other testimony given, this particular act was a part of the overall design to make more effective the strike against the newspaper.
12. The record in this case clearly shows that to make effective the strike was the motive which led to the commission of the crime of which the defendant was convicted. Evidence which shows the commission of other or collateral crimes is always admissible if this other evidence tends "to show motive, design or purpose for the crime charged." State v. Long, 195 Or 81, 116, 244 P2d 1033. This rule of law was fully explored by Mr. Justice BRAND in State v. Long, supra, and fully controls under the facts in this case so that the exclusionary rule relied upon by defendant does not *47 apply. See also State v. Estabrook, 162 Or 476, 91 P2d 838; State v. Gillis, 154 Or 232, 59 P2d 679.
The defendant sets forth other assignments of error which we have carefully examined and find so lacking in merit we deem it unnecessary to discuss them herein.
Finding that the defendant received a fair and impartial trial in which no error was committed, the judgment is affirmed.