midpage

State v. . SpencerState v. . Spencer

Supreme Court of North Carolina
Apr 8, 1936
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Stacy
Stacy, C. J.

It is conceded in the State’s brief the ‍‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍trial court was inattentive to ch. 311, sec. 2, Public Laws 1935, which provides that driving faster than 45 miles ‍‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍per hour, under conditions here described, “shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent, and that it ‍‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍is unlawful.”

It also appears from a careful perusal of the charge as a whole that the test of civil liability, ‍‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍rather than that of criminal responsibility, was applied in determining the defendant’s guilt. S. v. Cope, 204 N. C., 28, 167 S. E., 456.

This ‍‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍necessarily works a new trial. It is so ordered.

New trial.

Case Details

Case Name: State v. . Spencer
Court Name: Supreme Court of North Carolina
Date Published: Apr 8, 1936
Citations: 209 N.C. 827; 184 S.E. 835; 1936 N.C. LEXIS 362
Court Abbreviation: N.C.
Log In