Case Name: James Thomas v. The State
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1921-03-09
Citations: 89 Tex. Crim. 129
Docket Number: No. 6150
Parties: James Thomas v. The State.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Criminal Reports
Volume: 89
Pages: 129–130

Head Matter:
James Thomas v. The State.
No. 6150.
Decided March 9, 1921.
Rehearing granted March 30, 1921.
1. —Violation of State Liquor Law—Recognizance—Felony Case—Rule Stated.
On an appeal in a felony case, when the record does not contain a recognizance or bail bond, the presumption of this court is unless the opposite is made to affirmatively appear that the appellant is in jail, and the rule contended for by the State applies only to misdemeanor cases; but, the record not containing a final sentence, the appeal must be dismissed. However, the defect being corrected, the case will be considered on its merits.
2. —Same—Insufficiency of the Evidence—Accomplice—Corroboration—Rule Stated.
The purchaser of intoxicating liquor who illegally buys the same under the terms of what is known as the Dean Law, being equally guilty of a violation of said law by reason of said purchase, becomes an accomplice and a conviction upon his testimony cannot be supported unless the same is corroborated as required by law. Following Westbrook v. State, 88 Texas Crim. Rep., 466, recently decided.
Appeal from the District Court of Kaufman. Tried below before the Honorable Joel R. Bond.
Appeal from a conviction of a violation of the Dean Law; penalty, one year imprisonment in the penitentiary.
The opinion states the case.
Wynne & Wynne, for appellant.
C. M. Cureton, Attorney General, and C. L. Stone, Assistant Attorney General, for the State.

Opinion:
LATTIMORE, Judge.
Appellant was convicted in the District Court of Kaufman County of the offense of possessing liquor under the terms of what is known as the Dean Law, Acts Second Called Session, Thirty-sixth Legislature, page 228, and his punishment fixed at confinement in the penitentiary for a term of one year.
The State has filed a motion asking for the dismissal of this case because the record shows neither a recognizance nor the fact that appellant is in jail. The authorities cited by the State in support of this motion will be found upon examination to be misdemeanor cases, and we understand the rule contended for by the State to apply only to misdemeanor cases. On appeal in a felony case when the record does not contain a recognizance and bail bond, the presumption of this court is, unless the opposite is made to affirmatively appear, that the appellant is in jail. That portion of the motion of the State is therefore denied.
The State also moves to dismiss this appeal because the record does not contain a sentence. An examination of the record shows this ground of the motion to be well taken.
For the reason that the record contains no sentence, the appeal will be dismissed.
Dismissed.