Court Opinion

ID: 9825049
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 11:59:11.582599+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:27:36.918084
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
On the application for rehearing the following insistence appears: “We also earnestly insist that the Trial Court erred in refusing to give the general affirmative charge for the defendant. The great preponderance of the evidence and in fact the almost uncontroverted evidence in the case showed, beyond sound reasonable doubt, that the shooting occurred in appellant’s home, that the deceased was the aggressor throughout, provoked the difficulty, and that the appellant was acting under reasonable apprehension that his life was in imminent danger of being taken at the time he fired the pistol shot resulting in the death of the deceased. The evidence shows clearly that, regardless of who fired the first shot, the deceased had a loaded pistol in his hand pointed at the appellant and had made immediate threats of taking the life of appellant at the immediate time, and that the entire conduct of the deceased was such as to indicate to appellant that it was either a question of defending himself or being killed from an immediate assault being committed upon him at the time by the deceased.”
The facts stated in the foregoing insistence are not sustained by the record, and are unfounded in many respects. There is no phase of this case which entitled defendant to a directed verdict. The preponderance of the evidence, by numerous witnesses, tends strongly to show that the defendant not only, by violent and profan'e words, and belligerant conduct, contributed to the situation that brought on and caused the difficulty, but also that he entered into the combat willingly. The testimony of the only eyewitness to the fatal shooting was the son of defendant, Leonard M. Lowrey, Jr. This witness, among other things, stated he saw his father shoot the deceased first, that he fired one shot into the body of deceased in close proximity, that the appellant then turned and fled from the room with deceased firing some three or four shots at the appellant as he fled. The appellant received two or three wounds, and the evidence of Dr. Marcus Skinner, the surgeon who examined and treated the wounds upon him disclosed that said wounds entered the body of appellant from the rear. His statement as to this is as follows: “These said wounds of said Leonard M. Lowrey in my opinion each made their point of entrance into his body from the rear.” This undisputed fact tends strongly to corroborate the evidence of State witness Leonard M. Lowrey, Jr., the only eyewitness referred to herein-above.
In the application for rehearing counsel for appellant also complains of the ruling of the trial court wherein the court allowed the State to prove by State’s witness Mrs. L. M. Lowrey, wife of defendant, and mother of deceased, that within two minutes after the shooting that deceased said to her, “Mother, if anything happens to me, will you take care of my two children.” We pretermit the controverted question as to whether or not the matter complained of was of the res gestae, and also the insistence by the State, to the effect the question is not properly presented for consideration, as we are clear to the conclusion, after an examination of the entire cause that no prejudicial error inured to defendant as a result of said ruling. The law is, on appeal reversal will not be charged on grounds of improper admission or rejection of evidence, unless, in the opinion of the appellate court, after examination of the entire evidence, it appears that the alleged error complained of has probably injuriously affected the substantial rights of the defendant. In line with the foregoing Supreme Court Rule 45, Code 1940, Tit. 7 Appendix is also applicable to the case at bar. Said rule is as follows: “Hereafter no judgment may be reversed or set aside, nor new trial granted by this court or by any other court of this state, in any civil or criminal case on the ground of misdirection of the jury, the giving or refusal of special charges or the improper admission or rejection of evidence, nor for error as to any matter of pleading or procedure, unless in the opin*449ion of the court to which the appeal is taken, or application is made, after an examination of the entire cause, it should appear that the error complained of has probably injuriously affected substantial rights of the parties.”
Opinion extended. Application for rehearing overruled.