Court Opinion

ID: 9559061
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:21:38.874451+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:45.717057
License: Public Domain

Jackson, J.:
(dissenting) I am unable to concur in the opinion of the majority of the court and therefore, in good conscience, must dissent therefrom. There was no real dispute or conflict in the evidence in this case as shown from the record on appeal. It is undisputed that defendant knew that the deceased had seriously injured three people by attacking them; that defendant had witnessed an attack by the deceased with a knife upon another man, which attack had been foiled by defendant’s daughter when she was able to shove the deceased and allow the intended victim to escape (see State v. Potter, 13 Kan. 414, at p. 425; State v. Reed, 53 Kan. 767, Syl. ¶ 11, 37 Pac. 174, 42 Am. St. Rep. 322). It is likewise undisputed that the defendant had called the police on the telephone as soon as the deceased started the aforementioned fight with the other man, and that he told the deceased of this fact as soon as the fight ceased; that defendant then told deceased to leave defendant’s cafe.
Instead of leaving, deceased started slowly around the end of the counter waving a knife at defendant; that defendant reached down, got his double barreled shot gun from a place where he had a right to keep it, loaded it, and laid it on the bar; it is likewise established and undisputed that defendant warned the deceased to stop and to get out of the restaurant three times; that deceased only cursed the defendant, struck the top of the bar or counter with his hand holding the knife and came on toward the defendant; that then defendant shot his attacker.
It was further established that defendant is a man of over fifty years of age, some five feet ten inches in height and of medium build; that deceased was six feet three inches tall and weighed at least 210 pounds; that besides this difference in stature, defendant was lame. Certainly, defendant standing behind his own counter in his own place of business had no duty to retreat or to wait until deceased came so close that the shot gun could not be used (State v. Reed, supra) and the court so instructed.
But in my opinion, the court’s duty did not end there. Had a motion been made for a directed verdict of not guilty, I believe that under the facts, the trial judge would have erred had he re,fused to give such an instruction since the facts in this record, in *245my opinion, show beyond question justifiable homicide by way of self defense. There was a motion to instruct the jury that under the evidence the offense of third degree manslaughter had not been shown. After the verdict, there was a motion for a new trial upon the ground that the verdict was not supported by the evidence. In my opinion, the trial court erred in not sustaining these motions.
The duty of a trial judge, and of this court on appeal, to rule on the law where the facts are undisputed is fully as important as the duty of the jury to render a verdict on conflicting evidence. Both duties go together to make up our ancient system of trial by court and jury. The only limitation upon the power of the court is that it may not direct a verdict of guilty, but it owes a firm duty to direct a verdict of not guilty in a proper case.
The case of State v. Linville, 148 Kan. 142, 79 P. 2d 869, concerned a trial under an indictment for mansluaghter in the second degree, and so of course the matter of self defense was not there involved, but the rules of law apply equally to this case. There this court said:
“Instruction given to the jury should be based on the evidence in the case. (Bigelow v. Henniger, 33 Kan. 362, 6 Pac. 593; State v. Ryno, 68 Kan. 348, 74 Pac. 1114.) The facts were simple and there was little dispute in the testimony. Where the question is purely one of law, although arising in a criminal case, it is exclusively for the court. (State v. Bowen, 16 Kan. 475; State v. Truskett, 85 Kan. 804, 118 Pac. 1047.)
“As the evidence failed to support the charge of manslaughter in the second degree, we think it was error to instruct the jury as to that crime and to submit such issue to the jury. (State v. Furthmyer, 128 Kan. 317, 277 Pac. 1019; State v. Thompson, 119 Kan. 743, 241 Pac. 110; State v. Hartsock, 140 Kan. 428, 37 P. 2d 36.
“As this conclusion requires a reversal of the judgment and the granting of a new trial, it is unnecessary to consider the other assignments of error.
“The judgment is reversed, and a new trial is directed.”
A few of the cases from other jurisdictions announcing the principles of law stated above may be cited: Ex Parte United States, (CCA 7) 101 F. 2d 870; United States v. Murphy, (CCA 2) 222 F. 2d 698, certiorari denied 350 U. S. 896, 76 S. Ct. 155, 100 L. Ed. 788; State v. Channer, 115 Ohio St. 350, 154 N. E. 728; Mahaffey v. State, 44 Okla. Cr. 29, 279 Pac. 704; Commonwealth v. Stringer and Stringer, 195 Ky. 717, 243 S. W. 2d 944; and see 23 C. J. S. Criminal Law, p. 616, § 1118, and p. 662, § 1145.
It does not satisfy the function of a court to speculate on how the jury could have reached the verdict which it rendered. Per*246haps, the jury became confused by the ambiguous and indefinite meaning of our various statutes relating to the degrees of crime involving homicide (see William L. Rees, Esquire, Suggested Revisions in Laws Relating to Homicide, 20 Kansas Judicial Council Bulletin 79).
I feel that the court should gfant the appellant a new trial.
I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice Robb joins- in the foregoing dissenting opinion.