Hardiway v. State

• Decision Date: 25 January 1928
• Docket Number: (No. 11327.)
• Citation: 2 S.W.2d 455
• Parties: HARDIWAY v. STATE.
• Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

2 S.W.2d 455

HARDIWAY v. STATE.

(No. 11327.)

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.

January 25, 1928.

Rehearing Denied February 15, 1928.

Appeal from District Court, Lamar County; George P. Blackburn, Judge.

E. E. Hardiway was convicted of transporting intoxicating liquor, and he appeals. Affirmed.

Grady Sturgeon and Chas. Roach, both of Paris, for appellant.

A. A. Dawson, State's Atty., of Austin, for the State.

HAWKINS, J.

Conviction is for transporting intoxicating liquor; punishment being one year in the penitentiary.

Chenault, a policeman in the city of Paris in Lamar county, was directing traffic on one of the streets and observed the car driven by appellant, which had only one light burning. The officer called his attention to the light, and, appellant indicating no intention to stop, the officer tried to detain the car on account of the defective lights. Appellant drove by the officer, who, while attempting to stop the car, observed some fruit jars in the back of it. Appellant drove away. The officer got in another car and overtook appellant, who again refused to stop. When about to be overtaken for the second time, appellant and his wife abandoned the car and eluded the officers. The car was found to contain eleven fruit jars full of whisky and one partially full. There is no merit in appellant's objection to Chenault's evidence because he had no search warrant. None was needed under the facts of this case. Appellant was violating the motor vehicle "headlight" law in driving a car with only one light. Article 798, P. C. 1925. The officer had a right to arrest for such an offense without a warrant. Article 803, P. C. 1925. While undertaking to perform his duty as an officer, he observed the fruit jars in the back of the car. This, together with appellant's subsequent conduct, furnished probable cause for the search of the car without a warrant. Odenthal v. State, 106 Tex. Cr. R. 1, 290 S. W. 743; Washington v. State (Tex. Cr. App.) 296 S. W. 512; Rochelle v. State (Tex. Cr. App.) 294 S. W. 860; Plant v. State, 106 Tex. Cr. R. 330, 292 S. W. 550; Whitworth v. State, 105 Tex. Cr. R. 641, 290 S. W. 764; Battle v. State, 105 Tex. Cr. R. 568, 290 S. W. 762.

Bills 2 and 3 question the ruling of the court in permitting proof by the state sustaining its witness Chenault. Appellant had introduced evidence that the witness had made statements contradictory of the testimony given by him on the trial. Under such circumstances it was permissible for the state to prove his general reputation for truth and veracity to be good (Dixon v. State, 15 Tex. App. 271) and also to prove that shortly after the transaction the witness made statements consistent with the testimony given by him on the trial (Goode v. State, 32 Tex. Cr. R. 505, 24 S. W. 102). For collation of authorities on each point, see Branch's Ann. Tex. P. C. §§ 181 and 184.

Appellant sought a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence and attached to his motion the affidavit of two witnesses who resided in Oklahoma to the effect that appellant was in Oklahoma at the time he was claimed by the state to have been transporting the liquor in question. The evidence of these witnesses is in no sense newly discovered. The indictment charged the...