Coker v. State

Jun 30, 1932
7 Div. 905.
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Samford
SAMFORD, J.

The only evidence for the state was that of the sheriff and his ‍​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‍deputy, who testified that, armed with a search warrant they went to defendant’s place and found one pint of whisky under the back steps to his store and ‍​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‍eleven pints in the furnace of a barbecue pit in the rear of the storehouse.

There was no evidence as to the ownership of the whisky, and nothing to ‍​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‍prove that defendant knew of its presence. The cause was tried by the court, without a jury. As has many times been pointed out, a constructive possession ‍​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‍alone is not sufficient to justify a conviction. Burroughs v. State, 24 Ala. App. 579, 139 So. 115; Eldridge v. State, 24 Ala. App. 395, 135 So. 646.

The trial court erred in ‍​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‍rendering judgment of conviction.

*192 The judgment is reversed, and the cause is remanded.

Reversed and remanded.