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Davidson v. StateDavidson v. State

Alabama Court of Appeals
Mar 22, 1938
7 Div. 347.
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Rice
RICE, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of the offense of. illegally being in the possession of “prohibited liquor” ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍— whisky. We have read the testimony, sitting en banc.

The court and the jury having the appellant, and the witnesses, before them, we can see how it is possible that they ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍may have had a strong suspicion that the whisky which was found some “200 or 300 yards, or a quarter of a mile” from appellant’s home belonged to him. The testimony reduced ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍to cold type, as here, does not even, fairly, “raise a suspicion.”

Surely, we are clear to the conclusion that said testimony was entirely insufficient to even be submitted to the jury ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍■ — to say nothing of its being unable to support the verdict returned.

For the error in refusing to give to the jury at appellant’s request the general affirmative charge to ‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍find in his favor, the judgment of conviction is reversed, and the cause remanded.

Reversed and remanded.

Case Details

Case Name: Davidson v. State
Court Name: Alabama Court of Appeals
Date Published: Mar 22, 1938
Citations: 180 So. 129; 28 Ala. App. 151; 1938 Ala. App. LEXIS 93; 7 Div. 347.
Docket Number: 7 Div. 347.
Court Abbreviation: Ala. Ct. App.
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