Court Opinion

ID: 6545544
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-19 22:19:15.824916+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:55:57.399664
License: Public Domain

Riddick, J., (after stating the facts.) This is an appeal from a judgment convicting the defendant of an assault with intent to kill one Al. Smith. While the evidence does not fully satisfy us that either of the defendants intended to kill Smith, the assault made by Hinson was very persistent, and, had no one interfered, might have resulted in the death of Smith. As to Hinson, therefore, we think the evidence is sufficient to sustain the judgment. The evidence against Scott, while it shows an assault, does not to our minds show an intent' to kill. Before noticing that point further, we call attention to the argument' of the appellants that improper evidence was admitted against them. One Garrett, who testified for the defendants, and whose daughter was the wife of Scott, was askéd on his cross-examination by the attorney for the State “if he did not state to one Duke a day or two after the difficulty, while he (Garrett) was on his way to Round Pond, that he (Garrett) knew that there was going to be a difficulty between Scott and Smith when they met, and that he went down there where they were to see it well done.” The defendants objected to the asking of this question, but the court overruled the objection, and the witness responded that he had made no such statement to Duke or to any one else. Afterwards the attorney for the State was, over the objections of the defendants, permitted to ask Duke whether Garrett had made such statement to him. The answer of the witness was, “Yes, sir; he told me that he knew there was going to be a row next morning, and that he went down there to see it out.” Now, the witness Garrett was not asked whether or not the defendants, or either of them, had told him that they intended to have a difficulty with Smith or make him settle for his conduct of the previous night. He was not asked to state whether he knew there was go.ing to be a difficulty between the defendants and Smith before it happened, or if he had any reason to believe that there would be trouble between them previous to the difficulty. If these questions had been asked, and had been answered in the negative, then, to refresh his memory, or to impeach him, the witness might have been asked if he had not made contrary-statements to Duke. But, without having asked the witness anything of his own previous knowledge of the difficulty, the attorney for the State propounded to the witness the question as to whether he had not previously stated to Duke after the fight that “he knew there was going to be a row next morning, and went down there to .see it out.” As the witness answered this question in the negative, no prejudice would have resulted, had not the court permitted the State by its attorney to prove by Duke that the witness had stated to him after the difficulty that he knew it was going to take place, and went down to see it out. Now, as Garrett was not asked, and did not testify, whether he knew, previous to the difficulty, that the assault was going to be made, it was entirely immaterial what he said to Duke on the subject, for the answer did not tend either to corroborate or contradict his previous testimony, for the reason that he had not testified on that point. This testimony of the witness Duke contradicted Garrett about an immaterial matter, and should not have been permitted. That the admission of this improper testimony was probably prejudicial is shown by the argument of the prosecuting attorney, for he contended in his argument before the jury that this testimony of Duke contradicted Garrett on a material point, and showed that he was unworthy of belief. It may have also aroused in the minds of the jury a suspicion that the assault upon Smith was premeditated, and caused them to find the defendants guilty of a higher grade of crime than they would otherwise have done. Proper exceptions were saved both to the admission of this evidence and to the argument of prosecuting attorney based upon it. We are of the opinion that the evidence was incompetent, and that for that reason the argument also was improper and prejudicial. In conclusion, we will say that, though there may be evidence sufficient to support the judgment of an assault with intent to kill against the defendants, we f'eel very doubtful on that point, especially as to the defendant Scott. But, while we have doubt as to whether the defendants intended to kill Smith or not, we think it is clear that they were not justified in making the assault upon him. The evidence makes it very clear that both of these defendants were guilty of an aggravated assault, and one of them may have been guilty of a higher crime. On the whole case, we are of the opinion that the judgment must be reversed and a new trial ordered unless the Attorney General should prefer to have the judgment sustained against them for one of the lower grades of crime included in the indictment. Unless he files a motion to that effect within one week, the judgment will be reversed, and a new trial ordered.