Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

17 Tex. Ct. App. 591

Dupree v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas

Decided February 28, 1885

Court of Appeals of Texas · decided 1885-02-28

Tried below before the Hon. Gustave Cook. In. this case the appellant was convicted upon an indictment that charged him with the theft of $156 in United States currency, and one pocket-book of the value of $1, the property of T. H. Scanlan, in Harris county, Texas, on the 21st day of September, 1883. He was awarded a term of four years in the penitentiary as punishment. Timothy H. Scanlan was the first witness for the State.

Decided 1885-02-28

White, Presiding Judge.

¶1“It is well settled that when the inculpatory evidence in a case is purely circumstantial, the charge of the court must expound to the jury the nature and conclusiveness of that character of testimony, to warrant a conviction upon it.” (Gonzales v. The State, 12 Texas Ct. App., 657, and Vaughn v. The State, decided at the present term, ante, p. 562, in which all the authorities are collected.) No such charge was given in this case.

¶2We are also of opinion that the facts in evidence required, as part of the law applicable to the case, a charge upon the voluntary return of stolen property within a reasonable time and before any prosecution was commenced therefor. (Penal Code, art. 738; Allen v. The State, 12 Texas Ct. App., 190; Wheeler v. The State, 15 Texas Ct. App., 607; Bird v. The State, 16 Texas Ct. App., 528.)

¶3Because the charge of the court failed to present and submit the law applicable to the case, the judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for another trial.

¶4Reversed and remanded.

¶5[Opinion delivered February 28, 1885.]

/17/texctapp/591 · .json · Public domain