Keef v. State

• Decision Date: 23 January 1913
• Parties: KEEF v. STATE.
• Court: Alabama Court of Appeals

60 So. 963

7 Ala.App. 15

KEEF v. STATE.

Court of Appeals of Alabama

January 23, 1913

Appeal from Circuit Court, De Kalb County; W. W. Haralson, Judge.

John Keef was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree, and he appeals. Reversed and remanded.

R. C. Hunt, of Ft. Payne, for appellant.

R. C. Brickell, Atty. Gen., and W. L. Martin, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

WALKER, P.J.

The defendant was examined as a witness in his own behalf. In reference to his testimony the court, in written charge 3 given at the request of the solicitor, instructed the jury as follows: "If the jury believes that the defendant has testified falsely in material particular, then the jury may disregard the defendant's testimony entirely." Under this instruction, all that was required to entitle the jury entirely to disregard the testimony of the defendant was a belief by them that it was false in any material particular, though such falsity was recognized by them to be a result of a mere error in observation or of a failure to recall a material detail of the matter deposed about, and though the misstatement was not willfully or corruptly false, and was not such a one as to create in the minds of the jury a belief or conviction that the testimony of the witness as to other material facts was unworthy of credit. Under such an instruction the jury could capriciously disregard material testimony in the case of the truth of which they were fully convinced. The law does not recognize the existence of such a right in the triers of fact to put out of view material credible testimony adduced for their consideration. The charge was erroneous, and was distinctly prejudicial to the rights of the defendant. Prater v. State, 107 Ala. 26, 18 So. 238; Gillespie v. Hester, 160 Ala. 444, 49 So. 580.

Reversed and remanded.