LEROY CRAWFORD, PLAINTIFF IN ERROR,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, DEFENDANT IN ERROR
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
LeRoy Crawford was indicted for first-degree murder, convicted of second-degree murder, and appealed by writ of error. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, rejecting all eleven assignments of error, finding the indictment sufficient, the trial procedures proper, and the evidence ample to support the verdict.
The court affirmed Crawford's conviction, finding no reversible error in any of the trial court's rulings. The indictment was sufficient under Florida law, the denial of the continuance motion was proper, the discretionary denial of the bill of particulars was not an abuse of discretion, and the evidentiary rulings were correct.
“It is rather surprising to find that although the denial of this motion for a continuance is insisted upon by counsel as a ground for reversal, that all four of these witnesses were present at the trial and testifying in behalf of the defendant and not one of them gave any testimony with reference to the whereabouts of the defendant at the time the crime was alleged to have been committed.”
Demonstrates the weakness of Crawford's primary assignment of error regarding the denied continuance motion
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceLeRoy Crawford was indicted for murder in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty and was convicted of murder in the second degree. Crawford sought a …
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Motion To Quash Indictment cases and more on FLexlaw
Buford, J.
In this case LeRoy Crawford was indicted charged with murder in the first degree. He plead not guilty, was convicted of murder in the second degree and sued out writ of error. There are noted eleven assignments of error. The first assignment of error is “The court erred in denying the defendant’s motion for a continuance.”
A good part of the Brief of Complaints in error is devoted to this assignment.
The motion and proof submitted in support thereof fell far short of meeting the requirements of such a motion, and therefore, in justice to the learned trial judge we will say that there was no error in denying the motion even had not subsequent events transpired as they did.
The motion for a continuance was based on the alleged absence of, and the inability to procure, four witnesses, to-wit: W. R. Bennett, Mrs. W. R. Bennett, Frank Crosian and E. W. Johnson. It was alleged that such witnesses, if present would in effect depose and testify that the defendant was not present at the time and place where the homicide was committed.
It is rather surprising to find that although the denial of this motion for a continuance is insisted upon by counsel as a ground for reversal, that all four of these witnesses were present at the trial and testifying in behalf of the defendant and not one of them gave any testimony with reference to the whereabouts of the defendant at the time the crime was alleged to’have been committed. This assignment is not only without merit but its inclusion in the record was entirely improper. The second assignment of error is based on the order of court denying the motion to quash the indictment.
The indictment in this case was substantially in. the form of the indictment, the sufficiency of which was sustained by this Court in the case of Pell v. The State, opinion filed April 30, 1929, and, therefore, the indictment in this case must be held to be sufficient.
The third assignment of error was abandoned.
The fourth assignment of error was based on the action of the court in denying defendant’s motion for a Bill of Particulars.
It is well settled in this jurisdiction that “The granting of an application for a bill of particulars in a criminal case rests in the sound discretion of the court. A motion for such a bill should be supported by affidavit.” Matthis v. State, 45 Fla. 46, 34 So. R. 387; Brass v. State, 45 Fla. 1, 34 So. R. 307; Branch v. State, 76 Fla. 358, 80 So. R. 482; Brown v. State, 80 Fla. 741, 86 So. R. 574.
There was no abuse of discretion in denying the motion for Bill of Particulars. The fifth and sixth assignments or error are abandoned.
The seventh assignment of error is based upon the refusal of the court to strike testimony of a physician in regard to the examination of the body of the deceased and his findings and conclusions. We find that under the rule as stated in Kersey v. State, 73 Fla. 832, 74 So. R. 983, there was no reversible error in the ruling of the court in this record.
The other assignments of error appear to be of no importance.
The evidence as disclosed by the record was amply sufficient to sustain a verdict of murder in the first degree without recommendation to mercy and it is evident that the jury exercised greát leniency in returning a verdict finding the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree, and of this the plaintiff in error certainly has no cause to complain.
The judgment should be affirmed and it is so ordered.
Affirmed.
Whitfield, P. J., and Strum, J., concur. Ellis, J'., concurs in the opinion and judgment.
Terrell, C. J., and Brown, J., concur in the conclusion.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Jarrell v. State, 135 Fla. 736 (Fla. 1939)…. State, 45 Fla. 46, 34 So. 287. “Granting of application for bill of particulars in criminal case rests in sound discretion of court. Motion for bill of particulars in criminal case should be supported by affidavit.” H. N. 2, 3, Crawford v. State, 98 Fla. 152, 123 So. 567. There is nothing in the record to indicate that the court abused its sound judicial discretion in denying the motion, for bills of particulars; nor to1 indicate that the defendant was in any conceivable way harmed thereby. See Craig v…
-
Howell v. State, 136 Fla. 582 (Fla. 1939)…nder the system ot criminal pleading prevailing in this State, the forms of indictments and informations generally used, we can conceive of but few criminal cases wherein it would be necessary to order a bill of particulars.” See Crawford v. State, 98 Fla. 152, 123 So. 567. The record shows that the defendant was taken into custody by the police officer of the City of Tampa at the scene of the locus in quo and carried to the police station, where he was locked in a cell, when shortly thereafter some two…
Authorities Cited
- Mathis v. State, 45 Fla. 46 (Fla. 1903)
- Kersey v. State, 73 Fla. 832 (Fla. 1917)
- Brass v. State, 45 Fla. 1 (Fla. 1903)
- Dallas v. State, 76 Fla. 358 (Fla. 1918)
- Will Brown and Virgil Croft v. State, 80 Fla. 741 (Fla. 1920)