Case Name: BARNES v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1950-11-22
Citations: 234 S.W.2d 58
Docket Number: No. 24991
Parties: BARNES v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 234
Pages: 58–59

Head Matter:
BARNES v. STATE.
No. 24991.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Nov. 22, 1950.
•Chas. H. Dean, Plainview, for appellant.
George P. Blackburn, State’s Atty., of Austin, for the State.

Opinion:
BEAUCHAMP, Judge.
Appellant was assessed a fine of $250 hy a jury verdict on a charge of possessing liquor for the purpose of sale.
When the jury was impanelled the County Attorney began reading the complaint to the jury, instead of the information. Defendant duly objected to the reading of the complaint. The cour-t overruled his objection, to which defendant excepted.
.The complaint is an affidavit which is hearsay evidence and not admissible in evidence. The pleading in the case is the information filed by the County Attorney. It should be perfectly clear as we have often held that the complaint should not be read to the jury.
Other errors are not discussed because they may not occur in another trial.
For the error discussed the judgment of the -trial court is reversed and the cause is remanded.