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Noble v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Jun 19, 1929
18 S.W.2d 610 (Tex. Crim. App. 1929)

Opinion

No. 12405.

Delivered May 22, 1929. Rehearing denied June 19, 1929.

1. — Driving Auto While Intoxicated — Incomplete Transcript — Appeal Dismissed.

The transcript in this case fails to show the term of the court below, if any, at which the case was tried, and does not disclose when the term was held, convened or adjourned. In such condition the only course open to us, is to dismiss the appeal. Following Davis v. State, 91 Tex.Crim. Rep. and other cases cited.

2. — Same — Continued.

The defect in the transcript having been corrected, the appeal will be reinstated and considered on its merits.

3. — Same — Indictment — City and Town — No Variance Shown.

We think that the fact that the indictment alleged the driving of the car to have been within a city and the proof having shown it to be within an incorporated town, was no variance, such as would call for a reversal of this case. Mr. Webster's definition of a city is "an incorporated town." See Border v. State, 66 S.W. 1102, also see Bouvier's Law Dictionary, 6th Am. and Eng. Encyc. of Law, p. 32 and other cases cited.

4. — Evidence — Of Incorporation of Town — Sufficient.

The objection to the order of the commissioners' court, containing the original plot of said town has been substantially passed upon in the case of Hext v. State, No. 12115, opinion March 20, 1929, not yet reported. The facts in testimony seem to support the judgment of conviction.

ON REHEARING.

5. — Same — Evidence — Description of Street — No Variance Shown.

We cannot agree with appellant's contention that the indictment having alleged that he operated a motor vehicle on 5th street and 6th street in the city of Memphis and that the proof showed that he operated the motor vehicle on 5th street, and not on 6th street, there was a material variance.

Appeal from the District Court of Hale County. Tried below before the Hon. C. C. Small, Judge.

Appeal from a conviction for driving an automobile along a public street in a city while intoxicated, penalty, a fine of $100.00 and ninety days in the county jail.

The opinion states the case.

Fitzgerald Grundy of Memphis, for appellant.

A. A. Dawson of Canton, State's Attorney, for the State.


Conviction for driving an automobile upon a public highway while intoxicated; punishment, a fine of $100.00 and ninety days in the county jail.

Inspection of this record reveals the fact that the transcript contains no caption from which we can ascertain the term of the court below, if any, at which the case was tried. We are without information as to when the term was held, convened or adjourned. In such condition the only course open to us is to dismiss the appeal. Davis v. State, 88 Tex. Crim. 183; Williams v. State, 91 Tex.Crim. Rep.; Doddy v. State, 91 Tex.Crim. Rep.; Curtis v. State, 93 Tex. Crim. 448.

The appeal is dismissed.

Dismissed.

ON MOTION TO RE-INSTATE APPEAL.


At a former day of this term this appeal was dismissed because the transcript had no caption. This defect has been remedied. The appeal is re-instated.

The allegation in the indictment herein is that appellant while intoxicated operated a motor vehicle on a public street of the city of Memphis, Texas, an incorporated city duly incorporated under the laws of Texas. From the records of the county clerk's office it was shown that in 1906, Memphis, Texas, was incorporated as a town. It is further in testimony that continuously since said time Memphis has been an incorporated town. The place where appellant drove said car on the occasion in question was within the limits of the original incorporation. We think the fact that the indictment alleged the driving of the car to be within a city, and the proof having shown it to be within an incorporated town, was no variance such as would call for a reversal of this case. Mr. Webster's definition of a city is an incorporated town. This is approved in Borders v. State, 66 S.W. Rep. 1102. See also Bouvier's Law Dictionary; 6 Am. Eng. Ency. of Law, p. 32; Mitchell v. Franklin Co., 25 Ohio St. 154; Vol. 11, Corpus Juris, p. 787. We also observe that the witnesses spoke of Memphis as the city of Memphis. Art. 802, P. C., denounces the operation by an intoxicated driver of a motor vehicle upon any street or alley or other place within the limits of any incorporated city, town or village, or upon any public road or highway in this State. Did appellant know from the allegation above mentioned the place, where he was charged with driving this motor vehicle? We think he did. Was he misled by such allegation? We think he was not. We can not sustain the contention of appellant.

The objection to the order of the commissioners' court containing the original plot of said town has been substantially passed upon in the case of Hext v. State, No. 12115, opinion March 20, 1929. The facts in testimony seem to support the judgment of conviction.

The judgment will be affirmed.

Affirmed.

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING.

Appellant calls attention to a matter not adverted to in our original opinion. The indictment alleges that appellant while intoxicated operated a motor vehicle on "5th Street and 6th Street" in the City of Memphis. It is appellant's contention that if the evidence shows the commission of the offense it occurred on 5th Street and not on 6th Street at all, and having alleged that it occurred on both streets it is necessary to prove if else there would be a fatal variance. We do not think so. The other questions presented in the motion were discussed originally and seem to have been correctly decided.

The motion for rehearing is overruled.

Overruled.


Summaries of

Noble v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Jun 19, 1929
18 S.W.2d 610 (Tex. Crim. App. 1929)
Case details for

Noble v. State

Case Details

Full title:JOHN NOBLE v. THE STATE

Court:Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas

Date published: Jun 19, 1929

Citations

18 S.W.2d 610 (Tex. Crim. App. 1929)
18 S.W.2d 610