State v. Weaver, 20063

• Decision Date: 15 July 1975
• Docket Number: No. 20063,20063
• Citation: 265 S.C. 130,217 S.E.2d 31
• Court: South Carolina Supreme Court
• Parties: The STATE, Respondent, v. D. Legrand WEAVER, Appellant.

Page 31

217 S.E.2d 31

265 S.C. 130

The STATE, Respondent, v. D. Legrand WEAVER, Appellant.

No. 20063.

Supreme Court of South Carolina.

July 15, 1975.

Nettles, Thomy & Smith, Lake City, and Jackson & Bell, Florence, for appellant.

Finley B. Clarke, Florence, and Atty. Gen. Daniel R. McLeod and Asst. Attys. Gen. Joseph R. Barker and Richard P. Wilson, Columbia, for respondent.

MOSS, Chief Justice:

D. Legrand Weaver, the appellant herein, was tried, convicted and sentenced in The Civil and Criminal Court of Florence County upon charges of (1) operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquors, in violation of Section 46--343 of the Code, and (2) resisting arrest. He has prosecuted this appeal alleging trial errors, and the refusal of the trial judge to grant his motion for a new trial.

G. F. Willis, a highway patrolman, testified that on November 29, 1973, at approximately 11:45 P.M., he observed a 1974 Lincoln Continental automobile run two red lights in succession at a high rate of speed. This officer, after radioing headquarters, turned on his blue light and pursued this car. The chase continued for 2 1/2 to 3 miles with speeds reaching approximately 100 miles per hour before the Lincoln automobile was finally stopped. The officer went to the car of the appellant and obtained his driver's license. At the time he detected a strong odor of alcohol and asked the appellant to get out of his car. This officer testified that the appellant was staggering and very unsteady on his feet. He did not successfully respond to certain reflex tests. The officer concluded that the appellant was under the influence of intoxicants and placed him under arrest after advising him of his rights. He said that he directed the appellant to get into his patrol car, and the appellant refused with the statement that he was not going anywhere. We quote the following from the officer's testimony:

'Q. Well, that was all you did was grab his arm and put an arm lock on him?

'A. Right. And I carried him to the side of my patrol car and I reached my hand to open my car door. When I released him to start opening the door, he hit me in the lower neck portion of my chest knocking me into my car and went down fighting and started scuffling. When I got my balance again, we went down fighting and I ended up on the bottom of the deal and he was choking me. He had me around the neck and the next thing I remember, I saw lights coming up on me and up--the officer got out of the car and came over and knocked him off of me.

'Q. Did you know who it was?

'A. Yes, sir. One of my supervisors, Lt. Mozingo, and when he knocked him off of me, I was able to get up, get out from under him, when he knocked him off and both of us tried to get his hands behind his back and he was fighting and scuffling and we had to physically, each officer, myself and Lt. Mozingo, take each arm and force them behind his back and handcuff him. Once we got those handcuffs on him though, he just quit.'

Lt. Mozingo of the Highway Patrol testified that he received a radio call from Officer Willis and responded thereto. He said that upon arriving at the scene he discovered the two men scuffling, with the appellant on top of Willis and holding him by the neck. He could not pull the appellant from the patrolman and finally subdued him by one blow to the appellant's forehead with a blackjack. Thereafter, the two officers handcuffed the appellant and placed him in the patrol car.

The appellant claimed that he was stopped and arrested by Officer Willis without probable cause. He admitted that he had been drinking but insisted that he was not drunk. He testified that while he was protesting his arrest three unidentified patrolmen arrived on the scene and proceeded to handcuff him and hold him while Willis beat him. He further testified that Lt. Mozingo never was at the scene of the arrest. He claimed that he did not attack Officer Willis nor resist arrest.

There is testimony that Officer Strickland arrived at the scene of the arrest after all of the foregoing had taken place. There is also testimony that Officer Willis took the appellant by the hospital for the treatment of his blackjack would and on the way had radioed for two officers to meet him there. Officers Harris and Harrelson were at the hospital when Willis arrived with the appellant but they were not needed since the appellant was then cooperative.

An officer who was qualified to administer the breathalyzer test testified that he did administer such to the appellant and the reading was seventeen hundreths (.17) of one per cent blood alcohol. This officer also testified that during the course of his examination he detected a very strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the appellant. He said the appellant was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were very red and he appeared to be very much under the influence of some alcoholic beverage.

During the cross-examination of Officer Willis he was asked if he didn't think it would be better procedure for him to have waited for assistance to arrive before arresting the appellant. The court ruled that since the witness was a police officer he had a right to arrest the appellant and could use whatever force was reasonably necessary to make the arrest. The appellant alleges that these remarks constituted prejudicial error on the part of the trial judge. We disagree.

We have held that an officer does have the power and authority to arrest without a warrant those who have committed a violation of the criminal laws of this State within the view of such officer. State v. Mims, 263 S.C. 45, 208 S.E.2d 288. See also Section 17--253 of the Code. When an officer has a right to make an arrest, he may use whatever force is reasonably necessary to apprehend the offender or effect the arrest.

Counsel for the appellant made a motion for a mistrial because of the statement made by the trial judge. The jury was excused and the question was further discussed. The motion for a mistrial was denied and upon the return of the jury to the courtroom the trial judge charged the jury that the right of the patrolman to make the arrest was dependent upon their finding that a crime or misdemeanor was committed in the presence of the patrolman, and that he had the legal right to use such force as was reasonably necessary to place the appellant under arrest and take him into custody. In so ruling there was no error.

While Officer Willis was being cross-examined, counsel for the appellant asked him, 'What is your reputation for violence?' Upon objection to this question being sustained by the trial judge, counsel for the appellant stated that he thought that such testimony was relevant, and that he was prepared to show numerous episodes in which Officer Willis had been involved. The appellant alleges that it was prejudicial error for the trial judge to sustain the objection to this testimony.

It is well settled that the extent of cross-examination of a witness is within the sound discretion of the trial judge. Here, the proffered testimony had no relevancy to any issue in the case, and we therefore...