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58 Ala. 362

Powell v. State

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided December 15, 1877

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1877-12-15

Tried before the Hon. H. P. CLAYTON. Defendant, Henry Powell, and others, were indicted and convicted of burning a gin-house, with valuable cotton therein. On the trial, the State introduced one Phillis Collins, whose examination on her voir dire, showed her to be the wife of one Milton Collins, who had already testified. Defendants objected to her as incompetent, because her husband's testimony tended to show that he was connected with the crime as an accomplice.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently December 1930

1 state decisions

Relies on Borland v. Mayo · Wesley v. State · Gayle v. Bishop

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1877-12-15

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STONE, J.

¶1The testimony of Phillis Collins, offered for the State, was objected and excepted to, because her husband, Milton Collins, had testified against the defendants, and his testimony tended to show that he was an accomplice in the arson with which the defendants were charged. Milton Collins was neither indicted, nor on trial, and Phillis was offered to prove separate facts, alleged to be within her knowledge, but not to corroborate the testimony of her husband. No argument or authority is produced to show Phillis’ incompetency, and we can perceive no reason why she should have been excluded.

¶2Nor is there anything in the objection that the witness, Harman, was allowed to repeat to the jury his testimony previously given. The jury had returned to the court, and stated they disagreed as to what this witness had testified before them; The witness being in court, the court permitted the jury to examine him; but confined the examination to a repetition of what he had previously testified. Counsel on neither side were allowed to interrogate the witness in this examination. It has uniformly been held in this court that examinations, such as the above, are within the sound discretion of the court trying the case, and will not be reviewed' in this court. Gayle v. Bishop, 14 Ala. 552; Wesley v. The State, 52 Ala. 182; 1 Greenl. Ev., § 431; Borland v. Mayo, 8 Ala. 104; Fant v. Cathcart, Ib. 725.

¶3There is no error in the record, and the judgment of the Circuit Court is affirmed.

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