Hawes v. State, 3 Div. 793

CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
Writing for the CourtSOMERVILLE, J.
Citation112 So. 761,216 Ala. 151
Docket Number3 Div. 793
Decision Date28 April 1927
PartiesHAWES v. STATE.

112 So. 761

216 Ala. 151

HAWES
v.
STATE.

3 Div. 793

Supreme Court of Alabama

April 28, 1927


Certiorari to Court of Appeals.

Petition of J.C. Hawes for certiorari to the Court of Appeals to review and revise the judgment and decision of that court in Hawes v. State, 112 So. 759. Writ granted; reversed and remanded.

Sayre, Gardner, and Brown, JJ., dissenting in part.

Hill, Hill, Whiting, Thomas & Rives, of Montgomery, for appellant.

Charlie C. McCall, Atty. Gen., for the State.

SOMERVILLE, J.

The defendant was indicted under three counts--the first, for larceny of an automobile; the second, for its embezzlement; and the third, for larceny of $100 from the person of one P.L. Hudson. The state's case, briefly stated, was that Hudson, after being driven around by defendant in a Ford car, bought the car from defendant for $100, which he then and there paid to him in cash; whereupon defendant, on the pretense of going to the courthouse to get the proper papers, and, promising to return shortly, drove the car off, and did not return at all, and was shortly afterwards found by the arresting officer with the car in his possession.

It thus appears that Hudson voluntarily parted, not only with the possession of the money he paid to defendant, but also with its ownership, which was unconditionally vested in defendant. Under these circumstances defendant could not be held guilty of larceny of the money. Ex parte Economu, 211 Ala. 237, 100 So. 85.

The verdict of guilty was general, as authorized by the trial court in its instructions to the jury, and it is impossible to determine from the record under what count or counts of the indictment the jury found defendant guilty. In this state of the case we see no escape from the conclusion that the trial court committed reversible error in refusing to instruct the jury, as duly requested by defendant, that they could not convict defendant under the third count for the larceny of the money. Brasher v. State, 21 Ala.App. 309, 107 So. 727; Dorsey v. State, 134 Ala. 553, 33 So. 350; Walling v. Fields, 209 Ala. 389, 96 So. 471.

When the question propounded to a witness is so general, or so broad in its scope, that a responsive answer may as well be irrelevant or illegal as otherwise, the question is properly excluded if objected to by the other party. Birmingham R., L. & P. Co. v. Barrett, 179 Ala. 274, 285-290, 60 So. 262, reviewing the cases.

But, when there is nothing on the face of...

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20 practice notes
  • Morris v. Estes, 5:11-cv-01129-SLB-JEO
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 11th Circuit. United States District Court of Northern District of Alabama
    • 28 Marzo 2014
    ...about a "joint" being found, i.e., "What else did you find in the car?," was not itself necessarily objectionable. See Hawes v. State, 112 So. 761, 762 (Ala. 1927) ("When there is nothing on the face of the question, or in the statement of examining counsel, to show that the answer will be ......
  • Cozart v. State, 8 Div. 934
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 20 Octubre 1964
    ...a count be charged. out. Here there was no evidence to support counts 4 and 5. The refusal of charges 23 and 24 was error. Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Gayden v. State, 38 Ala.App. App. 39, 80 So.2d 495 (aff'd 262 Ala. 468, 80 So.2d 50......
  • Jackson v. State, 3 Div. 880.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 25 Febrero 1947
    ...A contrary view would deprive the appellant of a substantial right of review. Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Brasher v. State, 21 Ala.App. 309, 107 So. 727. We pass now to a consideration of the question of whether or not the court erred......
  • Murchison v. State, 5 Div. 224.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 11 Junio 1946
    ...v. State, 107 Ala. 154, 18 So. 109, 54 Am.St.Rep. 65. It is urged in brief of counsel for appellant that the cases of Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761, and Murchinson v. State, 30 Ala.App. 15, 199 So. 897, are in [26 So.2d 626.] factual point and must control our decision favorably......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
20 cases
  • Morris v. Estes, 5:11-cv-01129-SLB-JEO
    • United States
    • United States District Courts. 11th Circuit. United States District Court of Northern District of Alabama
    • 28 Marzo 2014
    ...about a "joint" being found, i.e., "What else did you find in the car?," was not itself necessarily objectionable. See Hawes v. State, 112 So. 761, 762 (Ala. 1927) ("When there is nothing on the face of the question, or in the statement of examining counsel, to show that the answer will be ......
  • Cozart v. State, 8 Div. 934
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 20 Octubre 1964
    ...a count be charged. out. Here there was no evidence to support counts 4 and 5. The refusal of charges 23 and 24 was error. Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Gayden v. State, 38 Ala.App. App. 39, 80 So.2d 495 (aff'd 262 Ala. 468, 80 So.2d 50......
  • Jackson v. State, 3 Div. 880.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 25 Febrero 1947
    ...A contrary view would deprive the appellant of a substantial right of review. Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Brasher v. State, 21 Ala.App. 309, 107 So. 727. We pass now to a consideration of the question of whether or not the court erred......
  • Murchison v. State, 5 Div. 224.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 11 Junio 1946
    ...v. State, 107 Ala. 154, 18 So. 109, 54 Am.St.Rep. 65. It is urged in brief of counsel for appellant that the cases of Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761, and Murchinson v. State, 30 Ala.App. 15, 199 So. 897, are in [26 So.2d 626.] factual point and must control our decision favorably......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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