Opinion ID: 1249374
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: motion for a new trial for newly discovered evidence

Text: From the judgment of life imprisonment, defendant appealed in apt time to the Supreme Court. On 4 May 1964, Campbell, J., entered an order requiring the county commissioners of Mecklenburg County to pay all necessary costs for obtaining from the court reporter a transcript of the evidence and charge of the court for the use of defendant, an indigent, and to pay all necessary costs for filing in the Supreme Court the statement of the case on appeal and defendant's brief, to the end that defendant's appeal might be properly perfected. While defendant's appeal was pending in the Supreme Court for argument at the Fall Term 1964, defendant by his counsel made a motion before Judge Walker presiding over the 15 June 1964 Criminal Session of Mecklenburg County for a new trial, and in support of his motion he attached thereto an unsworn letter from Warren H. Summers addressed to his lawyer. Summers wrote this letter from the State prison where he is serving a sentence of life imprisonment based on his plea of guilty of raping Sara Lee Guion. In this letter he states in effect he is not guilty of raping Sara Lee Guion, and that he lied on Morrow and himself when he testified against Morrow as a State's witness. The testimony of Sara Lee Guion is to the effect that she was first raped by Morrow, and then by Summers. Defendant's motion for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence was not made at the term of court at which he was tried and convicted, but at a subsequent term presided over by Walker, S. J., and at a time when his case was on appeal to the Supreme Court. A motion for a new trial in a criminal case on the ground of newly discovered evidence can be entertained by the superior court at only two termsthe trial term and the next succeeding term following affirmance of judgment on appeal. State v. Edwards, 205 N.C. 661, 172 S.E. 399; State v. Smith, 245 N.C. 230, 95 S.E.2d 576. In State v. Casey, 201 N.C. 620, 161 S.E. 81, it is said, unless the case is kept alive by appeal, such motion can be entertained only at the trial term. During the pendency of the appeal here in the Supreme Court, Judge Walker was without power to entertain the motion. State v. Casey, supra; Bledsoe v. Nixon, 69 N.C. 81; State v. Lea, 203 N.C. 316, 166 S.E. 292; State v. Smith, supra. Judge Walker should not have entertained the motion. However, he heard evidence, found facts, and denied the motion. For lack of power by Judge Walker to entertain the motion, his order is a nullity. A new trial will not be awarded in a criminal case in the Supreme Court for newly discovered evidence. State v. Williams, 244 N.C. 459, 94 S.E.2d 374; State v. King, 225 N.C. 236, 34 S.E.2d 3. Defendant, if he so desires, may make a motion for a new trial for newly discovered evidence in the trial court at the next succeeding criminal session after this case is certified down. State v. Dunheen, 224 N.C. 738, 32 S.E.2d 322. Appeal from Judge Walker's order denying a new trial for newly discovered evidence dismissed. The result is this: In the trial before Judge Braswell No error. Appeal from Judge Walker's order Dismissed.