State v. King

Decision Date12 September 1908
PartiesSTATE v. KING.
CourtWashington Supreme Court

Appeal from Superior Court, Spokane County; Miles Poindexter, Judge.

Dave King was convicted of obtaining money by false pretenses, and he appeals. Reversed and remanded for new trial.

Del Cary Smith and L. J. Birdseye, for appellant.

R. M Barnhart and George A. Lee, for the State.

MOUNT, J.

The appellant was convicted of the crime of obtaining money by false and fraudulent representation. He appeals from the judgment sentencing him to an indefinite term in the penitentiary.

After the state had closed its evidence, the court directed counsel for the defense to state his defense to the jury, whereupon counsel for the defendant said, 'Is not this an unusual proceeding? I thought it was optional, on the part of the defense, whether they made a statement or not'--when the court said: 'It is a matter within the discretion of the court, and I direct you to make a statement of your defense. The nature of the case is such that I think the jury ought to know how you intend to meet the state's case.' Whereupon counsel, after saving an exception, stated in substance that the defense would be an alibi. The statute, in reference to the manner of conducting jury trials, provides 'The plaintiff must briefly state his cause of action and the evidence by which he expects to sustain it. The defendant may in like manner state the defense and the evidence he expects to offer in support thereof, but nothing in the nature of comments or arguments shall be allowed in opening the case. It shall be optional with the defendant whether he states his case before or after the close of the plaintiff's testimony.' Ballinger's Ann. Codes & St. § 4993 (Pierce's Code, § 607). The inference here is clear that the defendant has no option after the close of plaintiff's testimony. It was not error, therefore, for the court to direct the statement. It is perhaps true that this statute is directory, and that the court and counsel may waive the provisions thereof; but certainly no prejudicial error is apparent from the fact that the court required the counsel to state what his defense would be. 'Neither party has the right to take the other by surprise by reserving the disclosure of material facts or points of law until it is too late for them to be duly weighed and examined.' Wharton's Criminal Proceeding and Practice (8th Ed.) p. 382. It is also claimed that the statement of the court that 'the nature of the case is such that I think the jury ought to know how you intend to meet the state's case' was a comment upon the facts. We think this is not such a comment as will alone justify a reversal. In his instructions to the jury the court said: 'I am requested to give the jury an instruction on the matter of an alibi. I don't think it is necessary to instruct this jury on that point; however, I will explain to the jury what that means. Alibi, as it is called, is a Latin word (lawyers are very fond of using Latin words) which means 'elsewhere'--that he was somewhere else at the time the crime was committed--and it was not necessary to say to the jury that, if he was not there, he could not be guilty, and if he committed the crime, he was there, and if the jury have any reasonable doubts about his having been there, they should acquit him. It was not claimed that he acted through any other person. The state claims that he committed this crime in person, and of course he could not do so without being there in person. It was for the jury to determine the place and time when this offense was committed. I will say in that connection that the exact date is immaterial. ...

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27 cases
  • Caldwell v. State
    • United States
    • Georgia Court of Appeals
    • July 9, 1976
    ...Cooper, 114 Utah 531, 201 P.2d 764, 769(9) (importance of time issue where there is danger of double jeopardy).Washington: State v. King, 50 Wash. 312, 97 P. 247(6); State v. Coffelt, 33 Wash.2d 106, 204 P.2d 521(2); State v. Brown, 35 Wash.2d 379, 213 P.2d 304(1, 2); State v. Pitts, 62 Was......
  • State v. Whittemore
    • United States
    • North Carolina Supreme Court
    • November 8, 1961
    ...751, 133 S.E. 14; State v. Harbert, 185 N.C. 760, 118 S.E. 6; State v. Wilkerson, 164 N.C. 431, 79 S.E. 888. In State v. King, 50 Wash. 312, 97 P. 247, 248, 16 Ann.Cas. 322, defendant was charged with obtaining money by false and fraudulent pretenses. His defense was alibi. The trial court,......
  • State v. Waid
    • United States
    • Utah Supreme Court
    • April 30, 1937
    ... ... Hanna , ... 81 Utah 583, 21 P.2d 537. Some courts have held that, where ... the defense of alibi is interposed, the time of the ... commission of the offense becomes so material that it is ... prejudicial error to instruct the jury that the time is not ... material. See State v. King , 50 Wash. 312, ... 97 P. 247, 16 Ann. Cas. 322; State v. Moss , ... 73 Wash. 430, 131 P. 1132; State v. Morden , ... 87 Wash. 465, 151 P. 832; State v. Abbott , ... 65 Kan. 139, 69 P. 160 ... This ... question, however, was before this court in the case of ... State v ... ...
  • People v. Suter
    • United States
    • United States Appellate Court of Illinois
    • October 8, 1997
    ...) (plain error to instruct jury it could find rape "occurred 'on or about' " date for which defendant had an alibi); State v. King, 50 Wash. 312, 315, 97 P. 247, 248 (1908) (reversible error to instruct jury time of offense We hold that it was error to give IPI Criminal 3d No. 3.01 under th......
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