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49 Ala. App. 203

269 So.2d 916

Morse v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Decided September 12, 1972

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama · decided 1972-09-12

Cited by 18 later decisions — most recently May 1981

18 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“". . . `The State must prove its charge and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt by the evidence. The assertions of counsel are not evidence.'"”

quoted by 3 later decisions, including Lámar v. State, 383 So. 2d 209 - Peck v. State

““The State must prove its charge, and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, by evidence. The assertions of counsel are not evidence.””

quoted by 3 later decisions, including Brown v. State, Bayne v. State

Relies on Lane v. State · Coleman v. State · Tatum v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1972-09-12

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

CATES, Presiding Judge.

¶1 Decoying a child: sentence, one year hard labor for the county. Code 1940, T. 14, § s.

¶2 At the end of the transcription of the testimony (R. 63) we find:

“(Whereupon, Argument was presented to the Jury by respective Counsel.)"

¶3 *204 We quote from Lane v. State, 85 Ala. 11, 4 So. 730:

“The defendant presented the following written charge, and asked that it be given to the jury: ‘The state must prove its charge, and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, by evidence. The assertions of counsel are not evidence.’ This charge ought to have been given. Coleman v. State, 59 Ala. 52; Tatum v. State, 63 Ala. 147.”

¶4 The appellant’s third charge refused reads:

“The State must prove its charge, and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt by the evidence. The assertions of counsel are not evidence.”

¶5 It follows that the judgment below is due to be reversed and the cause remanded for new trial.

¶6 Reversed and remanded.

All the Judges concur.
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