Opinion ID: 291540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: admission into evidence of certain firearms.

Text: 37 Without objection on the part of the appellants, except in respect to the Mauser automatic pistol, the Colt Cobra revolver, the Smith & Wesson revolver, and the Astra automatic pistol, there was received in evidence the firearm described in the Indictment, and all items of property described in the Statement of Facts. Appellants objected to the admission into evidence of the four firearms above described on the ground that the same were irrelevant, incompetent, immaterial and prejudicial. 38 In overruling the objection, the court informed the jury that the appellants were charged in the indictment only with the possession of the .30 caliber sawed-off carbine, and were not charged with any offense relating to any of the other weapons and paraphernalia received into evidence, and that said weapons were received simply to connect up the events leading to the discovery of the cardboard box and its contents, and as bearing upon the intent of the appellants insofar as it concerned the one offense described in the Indictment, and that he would explain his ruling in more detail at the time of final instructions. In his final instructions the court, inter alia, stated: 39 'Evidence has been introduced that two pistols and two revolvers, and ammunition which fit those guns, were found in the Lincoln along with the sawed-off carbine in the box, the sawed-off carbine charged in the indictment. 40 'Now, those pistols and those revolvers and the ammunition for them are to be considered by you for limited purposes only, that is, for whatever light they, and their presence at that time and place and under the circumstances then and there, may shed upon the actual or constructive possession of the sawed-off carbine by one or more of the defendants, as charged in the indictment. 41 'It may also be considered by you in determining whether or not the defendants were on an innocent trip in which they would have had no reason to have knowledge of the fact that the sawed-off carbine was in that cardboard carton, partly exposed under the front seat, between the feet of defendant Fanene. 42 'Now, not one of these defendants is charged with the crime of possession of a pistol or a revolver. The defendants are not on trial for anything other than knowingly possessing an illegally sawed-off carbine.   . 43 'To repeat, the defendants are not to be convicted simply because there were pistols and revolvers in the car standing alone. The existence of the pistols and revolvers and the circumstances under which they were found may or may not lead to an inference that one, any number or all of the defendants were acting jointly with the knowledge that the sawed-off carbine was in the car between the feet of Fanene in this box. Whether such an inference can and should be drawn is something for you to decide from all of the evidence before you.   .'In light of all the circumstances, we find no error in the court's ruling. 44