State v. Honeycutt
Decision Date | 29 April 1953 |
Docket Number | No. 218,218 |
Citation | 237 N.C. 595,75 S.E.2d 525 |
Parties | STATE, v. HONEYCUTT. |
Court | North Carolina Supreme Court |
Wade E. Brown, and Trivette, Holshouser & Mitchell, Boone, for the defendant-appellant.
Harry McMullan, Atty. Gen., T. W. Bruton, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Robert L. Emanuel Member of Staff, Raleigh, for the State.
First, the defendant urges that the evidence was insufficient to carry the case to the jury over his motion for judgment as of nonsuit made at the conclusion of all the evidence. This brings into focus the evidence relied on by the State.
Will J. Harmon testified:
The defendant testified in part: '* * * We pulled out on the side of the road and he (Deputy Harmon) passed us and he come back by the side of the truck and said, 'Is this Bob Honeycutt?' and I answered, 'Yes.' He said, ' I have got a paper here for you,' and he read it and handed it to me. I layed it down on my lap, reached in to get my glasses. * * * (cross-examination) * * * When Mr. Harmon told me he had a warrant or paper for me, I did not tell him he was too scared to read it. He handed it to me in the car and said, 'Read it."
As bearing on the question of nonsuit, the defendant's chief contention is that the State's case fails for want of specific proofs respecting the facts in connection with the issuance and contents of the warrant, such as (1) who issued the writ, (2) whether it contained an order of arrest, (3) whether it was issued by a justice of the peace of Avery County, or some other county, and (4) if the latter, whether it was properly endorsed as required by G.S. § 15-22. The defendant urges that in the absence of specific proofs in respect to these factors, the State failed to show that the arresting officer was acting under valid process.
As to this contention, it is noted from a perusal of the record that in the trial below the defendant did not challenge the validity of the warrant. And the rule is that in the absence of evidence to the contrary it is presumed that the acts of a public officer are in all respects regular. State v. Gaston 236 N.C. 499, 73 S.E.2d 311; State v. Rhodes, 233 N.C. 453, 64 S.E.2d 287; State v. Wood, 175 N.C. 809, 95 S.E. 1050. Therefore the State had the benefit of the presumption that Deputy Sheriff Harmon was acting under a warrant and order of arrest which were legally adequate to authorize the arrest.
The evidence was sufficient to take the case to the jury, and the court below properly overruled defendant's motion for judgment as of nonsuit.
Assignments of error Nos. 3, 4 and 5 (based on Exceptions Nos. 6, 7, and 8) relate to the court's reference to the evidence and statement of contentions in charging the jury. However, as to these assignments, the record discloses that the matters complained of passed unchallenged below. The rule is that a misstatement of the evidence, or of contentions of the parties arising on the evidence must...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Com. v. Antobenedetto
...Bielich v. State, 189 Ind. 127, 126 N.E. 220 (1920); State v. Greul, 59 N.J.Super, 34, 39, 157 A.2d 44 (1959); State v. Honeycutt, 237 N.C. 595, 598, 75 S.E.2d 525 (1953); State v. Maresch, 75 N.D. 229, 241, 27 N.W.2d 1 (1947); Hancock v. State, 80 Okl.Cr. 1, 156 P.2d 155, 158 (1945); Ludwi......
-
State v. Jones
...prejudicial, and amounted to a denial of some substantial right. State v. Turner, 268 N.C. 225, 150 S.E.2d 406; State v. Honeycutt, 237 N.C. 595, 75 S.E.2d 525; 3 Strong's N.C.Index 2d, Criminal Law § Defendant next assigns as error the court's denial of his motion to withdraw the plea of g......
-
State v. Smith
...jury on the question of the lawfulness of the arrest if the evidence does not support such an instruction. See State v. Honeycutt, 237 N.C. 595, 598, 75 S.E.2d 525, 527 (1953) (finding no prejudicial error in a trial court's instruction concerning resisting arrest that lacked an instruction......
-
State v. Meadows, 89A81
...prevail in considering the appeal and interpreting the record and determining the validity of the exceptions." State v. Honeycutt, 237 N.C. 595, 599, 75 S.E.2d 525, 527 (1953). A defendant is not permitted to defend at trial upon one theory "and, upon an adverse verdict, call upon the appel......