Edwards v. State

Decision Date06 February 1945
PartiesEDWARDS et al. v. STATE.
CourtFlorida Supreme Court

Rehearing Denied March 5, 1945.

Appeal from Circuit Court, Dixie County; R. H. Rowe, Judge.

W. P. Chavous and Royal C. Dunn, both of Cross City, for appellants.

J. Tom Watson, Atty. Gen., and John C. Wynn, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

ADAMS, Justice.

This appeal is from a conviction of grand larceny. The only question is whether the evidence is sufficient.

The two appellants and two women were charged with grand larceny. The women signed a full confession which was read in the presence of appellants, the two women, the sheriff and others. Appellants remained silent. Thus the confession became admissible in evidence against the appellants. See Autrey v. State, 94 Fla. 229, 114 So. 244; Handley v. State, 125 Fla. 632, 170 So. 748.

The women did not testify. The appellants testified but disclaimed guilt and explained their silence by saying they paid no attention to the reading of the confession. It is true the confession standing alone would not sustain the verdict of the jury, but here the appellants knew the victim was intoxicated; they had reason to believe he had a substantial amount of money; that he was a stranger and their chances of getting away with the money without being apprehended were good.

The jury had all the circumstances before them. The trial was conducted according to law. We affirm the judgment upon authority of Autrey v. State and Handley v. State, supra.

Affirmed.

CHAPMAN, C. J., and TERRELL and BUFORD, JJ., concur.

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4 cases
  • Brown v. State, 48229
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • 1 février 1979
    ...1167, 1181-93 (1974).25 See, e. g., Albano v. State, 89 So.2d 342 (Fla.1956); Kemp v. State, 48 So.2d 756 (Fla.1950); Edwards v. State, 155 Fla. 550, 20 So.2d 916 (1945); Autrey v. State, 94 Fla. 229, 114 So. 244 (1927); Roberts v. State, 94 Fla. 149, 113 So. 726 (1927); Mumford v. State, 7......
  • Jones v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 20 juin 1967
    ...Fla. 149, 113 So. 726; Autrey v. State, 94 Fla. 229, 114 So. 244, 245; Handley v. State, 125 Fla. 632, 170 So. 748, 753; Edwards v. State, 155 Fla. 550, 20 So.2d 916; Albano v. State, Fla.1956, 89 So.2d 342, 344 In Albano v. State, supra, the Supreme Court of Florida said: '* * * this court......
  • Phillips v. State, G-41
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 8 juillet 1965
    ...of his acquiescence in or admission of the facts stated as truth. See: Kemp v. State, 48 So.2d 756 (Fla.1950); Edwards v. State, 155 Fla. 550, 20 so.2d 916 (1945); Handley v. State, 125 Fla. 632, 170 So. 748 (1936); Autrey v. State, 94 Fla. 229, 114 So. 244 (1927); Roberts v. State, 94 Fla.......
  • Downing v. State
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of Delaware
    • 16 janvier 1963
    ...no evidence that defendant Downing was prevented from speaking, the admission of this evidence was entirely proper. See Edwards v. State, 155 Fla. 550, 20 So.2d 916 (Florida Supreme Ct., We turn now to the appeal of defendant Therkildsen. Appellant contends that the evidence is insufficient......

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