Opinion ID: 1724006
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sam Cook versus Samuel J. Cook

Text: The sufficiency of the evidence to support the trial judge's finding that the defendant has been formerly convicted of a felony, and has been sentenced therefor, and duly imprisoned and discharged therefrom is challenged. The State's proof consisted of (1) the deputy circuit clerk for criminal causes reading the entire entry of Volume 16 of the Permanent Record Book of Division Number 16 showing that on March 1, 1967 in Case No. 2288-0 in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Division No. 16, Sam Cook pleaded guilty to the crime of attempted robbery first degree by means of a dangerous and deadly weapon and was committed to the Department of Corrections for four years; (2) a Certified Transcript of Serial Record issued by the Department of Corrections showing that Sam Cook received that sentence in that court on that date; that he was received by the Department of Corrections on July 25, 1967 and was discharged by commutation of sentence on April 1, 1969. This transcript is certified by the Director of the Division of Classification and Assignment, who certified that the original files and records of persons committed to the Missouri Department of Corrections were in his custody as such officer, and that the transcript was a true and correct copy of the record of Sam Cook as shown by the record books of that division. The signature of the director was subscribed and sworn to before a notary public, whose signature, commission expiration and seal of office appear in proper form. If Samuel J. Cook is one and the same person as Sam Cook the foregoing evidence would comply with § 556.280 and with the requirement that in order to invoke the Second Offender Act the State must prove conviction, sentence and subsequent placement on probation, parole, fine or imprisonment, and that the trial court shall recite its finding, a subject recently reviewed by the court en banc in State v. Blackwell, Mo., 459 S.W.2d 268, 271, 272. Appellant, however, claims that by reason of the discrepancy in names (Sam Cook instead of Samuel J. Cook), the failure to identify accused with the book record of conviction (by comparing birth dates or other identifying information), and the failure of proof of discharge or service of sentence by Sam Cook, the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused Samuel J. Cook is the same person as the defendant in Case No. 2288-0 or that he was ever discharged from that sentence. The last claim is refuted by the Certified Transcript of Serial Record of Sam Cook, from which we quote: Discharged Commutation of Sentence 4-1-69, MSP. Identity of names is prima facie evidence sufficient to establish the accused's identification for the purpose of showing a prior conviction under the Second Offender Act. See the many cases so holding, collected in Missouri Digest, Sam Cook is not identical with Samuel J. Cook but the difference between the two names is not significant. We notice judicially that Sam is an abbreviation, contraction or diminutive form of Samuel, and we reannounce the principle that [g]enerally, a middle name has little, if any, legal significance. State v. Witt, Mo., 371 S.W.2d 215, 220. In that case the showing of a conviction of Jack Witt and a penitentiary record of Jackie Dean Witt, in a prosecution of Jack Gene Witt, was upheld. And see State v. Hands, Mo., 260 S.W.2d 14, 18, in which Dalton, J. cited three cases for the proposition that the middle name of an individual forms no part of the Christian name. In that case the admission of records showing prior convictions of Alonzo Hands was upheld in the prosecution of Alonzo Maurice Hands. In cases of partial and not complete identity of names, where the evidence of previous conviction of a person with a similar but not identical name has been upheld, there is always present some additional evidence or factor matching the accused with the person previously convicted. For instance, State v. Baugh, Mo., 323 S.W.2d 685, in which defendant's full correct name was Ray Leo Baugh. The copy of the judgment on which the State relied to prove a prior felony named Roy Lee Baugh and the prison record referred to Roy Leo Baugh. In addition to the similarity of names the following factors were present: Twice during the trial defendant was referred to in the evidence as Roy. A police officer testified that when defendant was questioned about his prior record he made admissions which fixed the time and place of his conviction, the offense and the punishment assessed at that shown in the State's exhibits. The record also contained a detailed description of the characteristics of the person previously convicted and when the prosecutor read the description in his opening statement and argued that it left no doubt as to the man's prior record, counsel for Baugh did not challenge or object to the argument. In State v. Martin, Mo., 395 S.W.2d 97, in which the admission of a copy of the sentencing of Carl Martin was upheld in the prosecution of Carl Alda Martin, and in State v. Collins, Mo., 394 S.W.2d 368 (Jesse Collins v. Jesse Franklin Collins), photographs of the previously convicted person, attached to the file, were available for comparison by the fact finder. In the case here for review in addition to the marked similarity of the names the trial judge had before him the Certified Transcript of Serial Record showing a detailed physical description of Sam Cook, as follows: Age 19, height 5 feet 8 ½ inches, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, light brown complexion, weight 137 pounds. The record shows that defendant, Samuel J. Cook, was present in court at all times during the proceedings including the hearing on the question of prior conviction, which was conducted out of the hearing of the jury. The trial judge had every opportunity to compare the man before him with the detailed physical description of the person named in the transcript and it is reasonable to assume that the trial judge made the comparison, and would not have made the implied finding that Samuel J. Cook was one and the same person as Sam Cook if there had been any apparent discrepancy. In this connection see State v. Collins, supra, 394 S.W.2d l. c. 371 [2]. It was therefore unnecessary for the State to rely solely upon the rule of identity or of marked similarity of names, and it devolved upon him who would deny identity to overcome the presumption. State v. Court, 225 Mo. 609, 125 S.W. 451; State v. Brinkley, 354 Mo. 337, 189 S.W.2d 314, 334. State v. Hands, supra, 260 S.W.2d l. c. 18 [3]. Neither in the trial court nor in this court has appellant claimed that he is not the Sam Cook who pleaded guilty to the prior crime. A similar observation was made in State v. Witt, supra, 371 S.W.2d l. c. 220 [4] and in State v. Williams, Mo., 382 S.W.2d 597, 600. [5] We find the evidence sufficient to support the trial judge's finding invoking the Second Offender Act. The judgment of conviction is affirmed. WELBORN and HIGGINS, CC., concur.