Coleman v. State

Decision Date30 June 1924
Docket Number2 Div. 294.
Citation101 So. 81,20 Ala.App. 120
PartiesCOLEMAN v. STATE.
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals

Appeal from Circuit Court, Perry County; S. F. Hobbs, Judge.

Dorman Coleman was convicted of grand larceny, and appeals. Reversed and remanded.

Arthur W. Stewart, of Marion, for appellant.

Harwell G. Davis, Atty. Gen., and O. B. Cornelius, Asst. Atty. Gen for the State.

SAMFORD J.

The trial was had on September 18, 1923, and the bill of exceptions was presented to the judge of the trial court on January 4, 1924. This was more than 90 days from the date of judgment, and therefore the bill of exceptions will be stricken. Ramsey v. State, 18 Ala. App. 373, 92 So 94; Perdue v. State, 18 Ala. App. 395, 92 So. 510. The recital in the certificate of filing by the trial judge that the bill of exceptions was filed "as of December 10, 1923," coupled with his request that the same be considered as filed within time, cannot avail the defendant. The plain provision of the statute (Code, § 3019) is:

"Bills of exceptions may be presented at any time within ninety days from the day on which the judgment is entered and not afterwards."

The bill of exceptions is stricken and this eliminates a consideration of the refused charges.

In the judgment entry, after a recital of the verdict of the jury we find the following:

"And now upon this the 21st day of September, 1923, the defendant, Dorman Coleman, being in open court, it is ordered and adjudged by the court that as a punishment for this offense the said defendant, Dorman Coleman, shall perform hard labor for Perry county," etc.

The charge and verdict was based upon an indictment charging a felony. In such case it is error for the prisoner not to be asked before sentence is pronounced why the judgment awarded by law should not be pronounced upon him. Perry v. State, 43 Ala. 21; Cranford v. State, 16 Ala. App. 68, 75 So. 274; Frazier v. State, 17 Ala. App. 486, 86 So. 173. It will also be noted that in the judgment entry there is no formal adjudication of guilt. It also appears that the judgment is indefinite as to the term of hard labor to be performed, and for this reason is erroneous. Brooks v. State, 16 Ala. App. 664, 81 So. 184.

It being the law that, in a felony case, there can be no valid sentence passed upon the defendant without his being asked the preliminary question "if he has anything to say why the sentence of the law shall not be...

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5 cases
  • Oliver v. State, 7 Div. 909.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 1 Marzo 1932
    ...be pronounced upon him, and to constitute a valid judgment these facts must appear in the minute entry of the judgment. Coleman v. State, 20 Ala. App. 120, 101 So. 81; Shepard v. State, 20 Ala. App. 627, 104 So. Wells v. State, 147 Ala. 140, 41 So. 630; Wells v. State, 19 Ala. App. 403, 97 ......
  • Smith v. State
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 9 Mayo 1939
    ...for proper sentence. Bryant v. State, 13 Ala.App. 206, 211, 68 So. 704; Frazier v. State, 17 Ala. App. 486, 86 So. 173; Coleman v. State, 20 Ala.App. 120, 101 So. 81; McMahan v. State, 21 Ala.App. 522, 109 So. Oliver v. State, 25 Ala.App. 34, 140 So. 180. In all criminal cases a defendant m......
  • Cole v. State, 6 Div. 850
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 4 Febrero 1936
    ...to sentence, for the court to fail or refuse to propound such questions. Frazier v. State, 17 Ala.App. 486, 86 So. 173; Coleman v. State, 20 Ala.App. 120, 101 So. 81; Shepard v. State, 20 Ala.App. 627, 104 So. McMahan v. State, 21 Ala.App. 522, 109 So. 553. The judgment entry discloses that......
  • Leonard v. State
    • United States
    • Alabama Supreme Court
    • 15 Diciembre 1927
    ...was so adjudged and sentenced after due allocution (Glass v. State, 203 Ala. 219, 82 So. 469; Perry v. State, 43 Ala. 21; Coleman v. State, 20 Ala.App. 120, 101 So. 81); nothing being said by him sufficient to prevent and bar sentence. There was no error in refusing defendant's charges A an......
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