Case Name: BELAND v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1919-11-26
Citations: 217 S.W. 147
Docket Number: No. 5473
Parties: BELAND v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 217
Pages: 147–148

Head Matter:
(86 Tex. Cr. R. 285)
BELAND v. STATE.
(No. 5473.)
(Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Nov. 26, 1919.
On Motion for Rehearing, Jan. 14, 1920.)
1. Witnesses <&wkey;328 — Evidence oe use oe DRUGS BY PROSECUTING WITNESS ADMISSIBLE.
Evidence that prosecuting witness, upon whose testimony the state relied almost entirely for conviction, was an habitual user of cocaine, morphine, and opium, was admissible as a circumstance to be considered by jury in determining his memory and mental condition, without proof that witness was under influence of such drug at time of testifying.
2. Criminal law <&wkey;941(2) — New trial PROPER TO PROCURE TESTIMONY CORROBORATING INTERESTED WITNESS.
Where principal witness for defendant was shown to be favorably inclined toward defendant, and was attacked by state in such manner as to probably justify jury in doubting truthfulness of her testimony, refusal to continue trial for absence of two disinterested witnesses, who would have strongly corroborated testimony of such witness, on motion showing reasonable diligence, held■ error; the evidence of the absent witnesses not being merely cumulative.
Appeal from Criminal District Court, Tarrant County; George E. Hosey, Judge.
Charley Beland was convicted of felony theft, and he appeals.
Reversed and remanded.
Poulter & Koenig, of Ft. Worth, for appellant.
Alvin M. Owsley, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

Opinion:
LATTIMORE, J.
In this case appellant was convicted in the criminal district court of Tarrant county of a felony theft, and his punishment fixed at three years' confinement in the state penitentiary. There are but two errors in the record which we will discuss:
On the trial appellant offered to prove by the prosecuting witness himself, and by several other witnesses-that said prosecuting witness, upon whose testimony the state relied almost entirely for a conviction, was an habitual user of dope, to wit, cocaine, morphine, and opium. This testimony was excluded by thé court on the state's objection. In this we think the court was in error. It has been held in this state in a number of cases that it may be shown that a witness was drunk at the time of the occurrence about which he seeks to testify: Green v. State, 53 Tex. Cr. R. 490, 110 S. W. 920, 22 L. R. A. (N. S.) 706; Lewis v. State, 33 Tex. Cr. R. 618, 28 S. W. 465; Wallace v. State, 65 Tex. Cr. R. 654, 145 S. W. 925. We are of opinion that, if it can be successfully established that a material witness is' an habitual user of cocaine, morphine, or opium, that fact should be admitted as a circumstance to be considered by the jury in determining his memory and mental condition.
The other error is that relating to the refusal of the court to grant a new trial upon newly discovered evidence. The principal witness for the appellant was attacked by the state in such manner as to probably justify the jury in having doubts as to the truthfulness of her testimony, standing alone. The affidavits of two other witnesses, as to material facts strongly corroborating said principal witness for the defense, were attached to the appellant's motion for a new trial, which motion sufficiently showed that the testimony of said parties was unknown to the appellant or to his attorneys, and could not have been discovered by the use of reasonable diligence. There was no attack by the state upon the motion for a new trial, and no enort to controvert any of the facts set up in said affidavits. We think the showing sufficient to have required the granting of a new trial.
We observe an error in the court's charge relative to the penalty; but, in view of the verdict of the jury, do not regard this as material.
For the errors mentioned, the judgment of the trial court will be reversed, and the cause remanded.
igasFor other cases see, same topic and KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digestsand Indexes