Title: Wright v. State

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

79 So. 2d 74 (1955)
William Claud WRIGHT
v.
STATE.
8 Div. 793.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
March 31, 1955.
Bernard F. Sykes, Asst. Atty. Gen., Robt. Straub, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Owen Bridges, Montgomery, of counsel, for the Petition.
Bradshaw, Barnett & Haltom, E. B. Haltom, Jr., Florence, opposed.
STAKELY, Justice.
The Court of Appeals in its opinion said:
Mitchell v. State, 244 Ala. 503, 14 So. 2d 132, involved the prosecution of a capital felony. There are expressions, however, in this decision which might have led the Court of Appeals to make its comment with reference to the consent of the defendant and his counsel to a separation in a case involving a noncapital felony. In denying the writ we do not mean to agree that in a prosecution for a noncapital felony the defendant and his counsel and *75 the prosecuting officer may not consent to a separation of the jury. In such a situation the court being apprised of such consent beyond the hearing of the jury may in its discretion authorize such a separation. In this event there would be no burden on the state to establish affirmatively that the separated juror or jurors were subjected to no influence or contacts that might have influenced their verdict.
With reference to the proposed procedure by the Court of Appeals as to proof of statements confessory in character by a recording machine, we think it best to reserve the right to consider this matter when and if presented to this court.
The writ is denied.
LIVINGSTON, C. J., and LAWSON and MERRILL, JJ., concur.