Worley v. State, 8 Div. 752.

Decision Date11 April 1939
Docket Number8 Div. 752.
Citation28 Ala.App. 486,188 So. 75
PartiesWORLEY v. STATE.
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals

Appeal from Circuit Court, Madison County; Schuyler H. Richardson Judge.

Silas B. Worley was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree and he appeals.

Affirmed.

Griffin & Ford, of Huntsville, for appellant.

Thos S. Lawson, Atty. Gen., and L. L. Mooneyham, Asst. Atty. Gen for the State.

Appeal from Madison Circuit Court.

SAMFORD Judge.

The indictment charged the defendant with murder in the first degree. On the trial, after hearing the evidence and the charge of the Court, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter in the first degree and fixed the punishment at five years in the penitentiary. Upon this verdict the judgment was rendered, and from that judgment was taken this appeal.

After verdict and judgment, the defendant made motion to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, upon the grounds that one of the jurors, trying the case, was prejudiced against the defendant; and that the verdict was due to a bias on the part of this juror.

On this appeal no insistence is made that the trial court committed error, either in its rulings on the introduction of evidence or in its charge to the jury; but, the claim is made that one of the jurors trying the case had, prior to the trial, expressed a bias against this defendant and an intention to see that he was convicted.

Upon this alleged bias on the part of one of the jurors trying the case, the insistence is made that the defendant has not had a fair and impartial trial; and, for that reason, a new trial should be granted.

We may observe, in the first place, that the testimony on the main trial, on behalf of the State, was amply sufficient to have sustained a verdict in a higher degree than that returned by the jury, and from a reading of the entire testimony no implication of bias arises by reason of a verdict returned not justified by the testimony; which fact is always to be considered in passing upon a motion of this character.

The evidence on the motion for a new trial was taken ore tenus, and addressed itself to the trial judge, before whom the motion was heard, (1st) as to whether or not the fact of bias, as alleged in the motion, had been proven; and (2nd) was the character of the testimony offered such as to impress the Judge that a different verdict would probably have been rendered.

The trial judge had the...

To continue reading

Request your trial
8 cases
  • Parish v. State, 8 Div. 258
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • July 23, 1985
    ...we are justified in considering the fact that the jury's verdict was overwhelmingly justified by the testimony. Cf. Worley v. State, 28 Ala.App. 486, 188 So. 75 (1939) (review of the denial of a motion for new trial on the ground that a juror was prejudiced against the defendant). Not only ......
  • Pugh v. State
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • April 19, 1977
    ...the trial court properly complied with the above principles. The evidence in this case amply supports the verdict. Worley v. State, 28 Ala.App. 486, 188 So. 75 (1939). There is no evidence to justify a finding of concealment on the juror's behalf. Indeed, the stipulation shows that his fail......
  • Corsbie v. Poore
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • June 25, 1940
    ...198 So. 268 29 Ala.App. 487 CORSBIE ET AL. v. POORE. 6 Div. 546.Court of Appeals of AlabamaJune 25, 1940 ... v. Sexton, 21 ... Ala.App. 51, 105 So. 716; Worley v. State, 28 ... Ala.App. 486, 188 So. 75 ... ...
  • Powell v. Pate
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • August 6, 1940
    ...motion for new trial. Cobb v. Malone, 92 Ala. 630, 631, 9 So. 738; Corona Coal Co. v. Sexton, 21 Ala.App. 51, 105 So. 716; Worley v. State, 28 Ala.App. 486, 188 So. 75. statement or admission by Gordon Powell that he would "do whatever was right and wanted Mr. Pate to be satisfied about it ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT