Wallis v. State, 6 Div. 105

CourtAlabama Court of Appeals
Writing for the CourtBONE
Citation84 So.2d 788,38 Ala.App. 359
Decision Date11 October 1955
Docket Number6 Div. 105
PartiesHarold Wayne WALLIS v. STATE.

Page 788

84 So.2d 788
38 Ala.App. 359
Harold Wayne WALLIS
v.
STATE.
6 Div. 105.
Court of Appeals of Alabama.
Oct. 11, 1955.
Rehearing Denied Nov. 22, 1955.

Page 789

[38 Ala.App. 360] Bevill & Bevill, Jasper, for appellant.

John Patterson, Atty. Gen., and Robt. Straub, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

BONE, Judge.

Appellant was tried in the City Court of Jasper, Alabama, on a complaint charging him with reckless driving. On a plea of not guilty trial was had before the court resulting in a judgment of guilty. A fine of $25 was imposed.

Appellant appealed from the judgment of the city court to the circuit court, and trial was there had de novo on a solicitor's complaint. Upon a plea of not guilty trial was had before the court and jury, resulting in a verdict of guilty, the jury fixing his fine at $400. Appellant's motion for a new trial was overruled.

Testimony adduced at the trial on behalf of the State tended to show that appellant was arrested at about 2:20 A.M., April 25, 1954, at a point on Highway 78 near Jasper. Appellant was driving his car in a westerly direction along the highway toward the city of Jasper when Highway Patrolmen R. P. Sorrell and T. E. Maxwell began to follow him. The officers testified that appellant's automobile 'weaved' on the road, that once when topping a knoll the left wheels of appellant's automobile crossed the center line of the highway, and that he was travelling at a speed of between thirty and forty miles per hour.

Appellant was followed for approximately 3/4 of 1 mile by the officers before he was stopped. The State's evidence as to appellant's stopping his car is conflicting. One patrolman testified that appellant stopped on the right side of the road and pulled over to the left side in front of a drive-in restaurant when asked to do so by the patrolman. The other patrolman testified that appellant pulled off to the left and parked in front of the restaurant in the first instance. Testimony indicated that there was not sufficient room to park on the right side of the road in safety.

[38 Ala.App. 361] Appellant was accompanied, at the time of the arrest, by a young lady. The State was allowed to introduce testimony, over appellant's objections, that both he and his companion were under the influence of intoxicants. The evidence also disclosed that appellant had been stopped by the same officers at a point some fifteen miles away about an hour earlier, but that he was not placed under arrest at that time.

Testifying in his own behalf, appellant stated that his automobile was not weaving, nor did it cross the center line at the time and place in question; that neither he nor his companion was under the influence of intoxicants at the time nor had they been during the evening and night in question. He testified further that the patrol car following him blinked its lights as a signal for him to stop, and that he thereupon gave the proper hand signal for a left turn and parked on the left side of the road in front of the restaurant.

Appellant's companion testified that she had been in the company of appellant for about seven hours at the time they were stopped; that they had been to Birmingham; that neither she nor appellant was under the influence of intoxicants at the time; and that she had observed appellant's driving and was observing it at the time they were stopped, and appellant had not weaved upon the road.

On the hearing of the motion for a new trial it was shown that before the taking of any testimony and prior to qualifying and

Page 790

selecting the jury for the trial of this cause the following questions were asked by the attorney for defendant:

'Are any of you acquainted with Highway Patrolman Red Sorrell? (Two jurymen answered in the affirmative.)'

'Do any of you know Highway Patrolman Sgt. Maxwell? (No answer.)'

'Do you or any of you hold a deputy sheriff's commission, or have you held a deputies commission in the past? (No answer.)'

'Does any...

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13 practice notes
  • Beauregard v. State, 2 Div. 237
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • March 6, 1979
    ...he might have been. Little v. State, 339 So.2d 1071, 1072 (Ala.Cr.App.), cert. denied, 339 So.2d 1073 (Ala.1976); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 362, 84 So.2d 788 (1955), cert. denied, 264 Ala. 700, 84 So.2d 792 (1956); Leach v. State, 32 Ala.App. 248, 24 So.2d 454 The article was publis......
  • Dixon v. State, No. CR-06-1916 (Ala. Crim. App. 6/27/2008), CR-06-1916.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • June 27, 2008
    ...whether the petitioner might have been prejudiced. See Leach v. State, 31 Page 13 Ala. App. 390, 18 So. 2d 285 (1944); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala. App. 359, 362, 84 So. 2d 788, 790 (1955); Beauregard v. State, 372 So. 2d 37, 40-41 (Ala. Crim. App. 1979); Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So. 2d 731, 732......
  • Dixon v. State , CR–06–1916.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • August 15, 2008
    ...respond is whether the petitioner might have been prejudiced. See Leach v. State, 31 Ala.App. 390, 18 So.2d 285 (1944); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 362, 84 So.2d 788, 790 (1955); Beauregard v. State, 372 So.2d 37, 40–41 (Ala.Crim.App.1979); Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So.2d 731, 732 (Ala.......
  • McHenry v. State, 4 Div. 239
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of Alabama
    • December 9, 1965
    ...v. State, 77 Ala. 75, 76-77; Battle v. State, 54 Ala. 93, 94; Beasley v. State, 39 Ala.App. 182, 189(9) 96 So.2d 693; Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 361, 362, 84 So.2d 788, cert. den. 264 Ala. 700, 84 So.2d 792; Griffith v. State, 31 Ala.App. 432, 433, 18 So.2d 284. For similar holdings ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
13 cases
  • Beauregard v. State, 2 Div. 237
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • March 6, 1979
    ...he might have been. Little v. State, 339 So.2d 1071, 1072 (Ala.Cr.App.), cert. denied, 339 So.2d 1073 (Ala.1976); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 362, 84 So.2d 788 (1955), cert. denied, 264 Ala. 700, 84 So.2d 792 (1956); Leach v. State, 32 Ala.App. 248, 24 So.2d 454 The article was publis......
  • Dixon v. State, No. CR-06-1916 (Ala. Crim. App. 6/27/2008), CR-06-1916.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • June 27, 2008
    ...whether the petitioner might have been prejudiced. See Leach v. State, 31 Page 13 Ala. App. 390, 18 So. 2d 285 (1944); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala. App. 359, 362, 84 So. 2d 788, 790 (1955); Beauregard v. State, 372 So. 2d 37, 40-41 (Ala. Crim. App. 1979); Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So. 2d 731, 732......
  • Dixon v. State , CR–06–1916.
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • August 15, 2008
    ...respond is whether the petitioner might have been prejudiced. See Leach v. State, 31 Ala.App. 390, 18 So.2d 285 (1944); Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 362, 84 So.2d 788, 790 (1955); Beauregard v. State, 372 So.2d 37, 40–41 (Ala.Crim.App.1979); Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So.2d 731, 732 (Ala.......
  • McHenry v. State, 4 Div. 239
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of Alabama
    • December 9, 1965
    ...v. State, 77 Ala. 75, 76-77; Battle v. State, 54 Ala. 93, 94; Beasley v. State, 39 Ala.App. 182, 189(9) 96 So.2d 693; Wallis v. State, 38 Ala.App. 359, 361, 362, 84 So.2d 788, cert. den. 264 Ala. 700, 84 So.2d 792; Griffith v. State, 31 Ala.App. 432, 433, 18 So.2d 284. For similar holdings ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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