Opinion ID: 1841546
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: what is the ultimate result of the majority's holding?

Text: There are certain elemental rules of human behavior. Not the least of which is that a person accused of a crime does not wish to be confined or executed because of it. There are persons other than the accused who share that opinion. There were certainly such persons admittedly in this case. His defense was an alibi. A number of persons testified on his behalf. The majority opinion opens the way for any accused criminal to go scot-free where there is only one primary witness to convict him in front of a jury. I would hazard a guess, that no witnesses, particularly those surrounded by people such as those in this case, would laugh at a suggestion from anyone talking for the accused, that the witness would look nice at the bottom of a deep hole in the bayou with a concrete block around his neck. Some people are naive enough to believe that such things do not happen. We have a further human situation that in many cases, and certainly where confinement and life are at stake, money talks. There are many ways that one primary witness may be gotten to. The opinion in this case paves the roadway to that result in most any case similar to that now before us. With deference to my learned colleagues, I am convinced that the reason given by the majority for reversing, and in effect releasing, appellant's conviction is erroneous. As hereinbefore stated, I cannot make a robot out of the lower courts and hold that the trial judge in this case did not have the discretion to do as he did. I would affirm.