Sandlin v. City of Birmingham, 6 Div. 847.

• Decision Date: 04 August 1931
• Docket Number: 6 Div. 847.
• Citation: 24 Ala.App. 462,136 So. 481
• Parties: SANDLIN v. CITY OF BIRMINGHAM.
• Court: Alabama Court of Appeals

136 So. 481

24 Ala.App. 462

SANDLIN v. CITY OF BIRMINGHAM.

6 Div. 847.

Court of Appeals of Alabama

August 4, 1931

Appeal from Circuit Court, Jefferson County; J. Russell McElroy Judge.

D. W Sandlin was convicted of violating an ordinance of the City of Birmingham, and he appeals.

Affirmed.

Prosch & Prosch, of Birmingham, for appellant.

W. J Wynn and Ralph E. Parker, both of Birmingham, for appellee.

BRICKEN P.J.

The prosecution in this case was for the violation of ordinance 317-C. of the city of Birmingham. The specific charge being that the appellant, within the police jurisdiction of said city, did have in possession prohibited liquors and beverages, etc. The prosecution originated in the recorder's court, and, from a judgment of conviction therein, he appealed to the circuit court and was there tried by a jury, was again convicted, and appealed here. Pending the trial, no exception was reserved to any ruling of the court, except to its action in overruling the motion for a new trial. Assignments of error are based upon this exception and upon the refusal of several written charges requested by defendant.

Assignment No. 1 cannot be sustained. It is based upon the refusal by the court of the following charge: "I charge you gentlemen of the jury, if the State's witnesses in this case were mistaken as to any material fact, that fact alone may be sufficient for an acquittal." This is not a prosecution by the state. There were no "State witnesses" in this trial. The charge, therefore, is not applicable, nor does it state a correct proposition of law. A witness may make an honest mistake in giving his testimony. Such would not authorize the jury to disregard all the testimony of the witness. The governing rule is, if a witness willfully and corruptly swears falsely to a material fact, the jury in its discretion could disregard the testimony of such witness entirely.

Assignment of error 2 is based upon the refusal of the court to give this charge: "I charge you gentlemen of the jury, the defendant is presumed innocent, until the State has proven his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." As stated hereinabove, the state was not a party to this prosecution, hence this charge is not applicable. But pretermitting this, the substance of the charge in question was fairly and substantially covered by the court's oral charge, wherein it was stated: "The defendant under the law is presumed to be innocent until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt." The court will not be put in error for refusing a charge even if it is correct, where the same proposition of law has been fairly and substantially given to the jury in the oral charge, or by charges given at the request of parties. In other words, no duty rests upon the court to repeat to the jury instructions already given.

There is no...