State v. Dietz.

• Decision Date: 19 October 1949
• Docket Number: No. A-625.,A-625.
• Citation: 68 A.2d 777
• Parties: STATE v. DIETZ.
• Court: New Jersey Superior Court

68 A.2d 777

STATE

v.DIETZ.

No. A-625.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Argued Oct. 4, 1949.

Decided Oct. 19, 1949.

Russell M. Dietz was convicted of open lewdness by the Judicial Criminal District Court of Bergen County, and he appealed.

The Superior Court, Appellate Division, Eastwood, J.A.D., held that the trial court committed prejudicial error in admitting defendant's alleged confession in evidence which was not signed by defendant and contained references to other crimes.

Before Judges McGEEHAN, COLIE and EASTWOOD.

Stephen Toth, Jr., Garfield, argued the cause for the plaintiff-respondent (Walter G. Winne, County Prosecutor, Hackensack, attorney).

George F. Losche, Hackensack, attorney for and of counsel with defendant-appellant, argued the cause (Benedict E. Lucchi, Hackensack, on the brief).

The opinion of the court was delivered by

EASTWOOD, J.A.D.

Defendant appeals from a conviction of open lewdness by the Judicial Criminal District Court of Bergen County, sitting without a jury.

From the agreed statement of facts, it appears that defendant was accused of committing the act charged against him while seated in his automobile, parked on a public street in Allendale on or about September 21, 1948, in the presence of a seven year old girl. His defense was based upon an alibi. The trial court, over defendant's objection, admitted in evidence copy of defendant's unsigned statement, comprising interrogations and answers thereto, taken at the Ramsey Police Barracks on October 27, 1948, at the end of which it contained this notation: ‘At this time subject had convulsion or fit of some kind and lost consciousness.’

Defendant contends that the trial court committed error in admitting his alleged statement (Ex. S-1) in evidence, on the grounds that it was not signed by him, contained inadmissible references to other crimes and was an exculpatory statement that the State should have proven to be false.

The State, on the contrary, argues that ‘a reading of the statement clearly indicates that it contains material statements concerning his guilt; * * *’, citing State v. Donato, 106 N.J.L. 397, 148 A. 776 (E. & A. 1930), in support of its argument that the trial court did not err in its admission. State v. Donato, supra, 106 N.J.L. at page 405, 148 A. at page 780 correctly defines ‘confessions' and states the applicable law concerning the requisite conditions determining their admissibility, viz.: “Confessions' are admissions, made at any time by a person accused of crime, stating or suggesting the inference that he committed or participated in the commission of that crime. Underhill Criminal Evidence (3d ed.), Sec. 125.’

And further: ‘* * * the undoubted rule is that a confession of the accused which was reduced to writing by another person and was read over to or by the accused, and which was signed or otherwise admitted by him to be correct, is as much his written confession as one prepared entirely by his own hand would be; and when made voluntarily it is admissible against him. 16 C.I.P. 732.’

The record here reveals that there was a complete lack of compliance with the foregoing rule. The statement of facts sets forth that ‘They * * * took from the defendant a written statement in question and answer form which, however, was not signed because during the course of the questioning the defendant was seized with a convulsion and lost consciousness.’ It is obvious from the testimony of the police officer that the statement was not signed by the defendant, nor was it read over to or by him. In addition, so far as revealed by the record, the first time that the statement was read in the presence of defendant was at his trial, when he denied that part dealing with his being sexually maladjusted; he asserted that on September 21, 1948 (the date of the alleged offense), he was at home with his mother and grandmother and not in Allendale; that he had left his...