midpage

State v. CoupenhaverState v. Coupenhaver

Supreme Court of Missouri
Jan 15, 1867
Reporters:
Before:
Holmes
Holmes, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This case is submitted upon the recold, without briefs. We have examined the record and find no sufficient ground for ‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‍the reversal of the judgment. A motion for a new trial was overruled. The ground of the motion was that the jurors had rendered the verdict upon an agreement among themselves, when they retired, that they would take a vote upon the question of guilty or not guilty; and that if ‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‍a majority should be in favor of finding the defendant guilty, or not guilty, the verdict should be rendered accordingly : and the defendant offered to call two of the jurors to prove the fact. This testimony was excluded. The law is well settled that a traverse juror cannot be a ‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‍witness to prove misbehavior in the jury in regard to their verdict — Pratte v. Coffman, 33 Mo. 71; Sawyer v. Hann & St. Jo. R.R. Co., 37 Mo. 264.

Another objection was made a ground for a motion in arrest, that the record did not show when the indictment was found and returned into court. ‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‍It was endorsed “ a true bill,” signed by the foreman, but the date of the filing does *431not appear; but it sufficiently appears that the indictment was filed and a capias issued for the arrest of the defendant. This omission constitutes no valid ground for a motion in arrest — State ‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‍v. Clark, 18 Mo. 432.

Some other reasons were assigned for the motion in arrest. They were immaterial, and need not be specially noticed.

Judgment affirmed.

The other judges concur.

Case Details

Case Name: State v. Coupenhaver
Court Name: Supreme Court of Missouri
Date Published: Jan 15, 1867
Citation: 39 Mo. 430
Court Abbreviation: Mo.
Log In