{ "id": 1314552, "name": "New v. State", "name_abbreviation": "New v. State", "decision_date": "1911-05-08", "docket_number": "", "first_page": "142", "last_page": "147", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "99 Ark. 142" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "Ark.", "id": 8808, "name": "Arkansas Supreme Court" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 34, "name_long": "Arkansas", "name": "Ark." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "87 Ark. 17", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1519157 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/87/0017-01" ] }, { "cite": "71 Ark. 63", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "60 Ark. 76", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1903653 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/60/0076-01" ] }, { "cite": "82 Ark. 117", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1529007 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/82/0117-01" ] }, { "cite": "83 Ark. 98", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1527115 ], "weight": 2, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "179" } ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/83/0098-01" ] }, { "cite": "50 Ark. 25", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 8719654 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/50/0025-01" ] }, { "cite": "34 Ark. 550", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1875611 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/34/0550-01" ] }, { "cite": "72 Ark. 598", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "52 Ark. 309", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "60 Ark. 450", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1903673 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/60/0450-01" ] }, { "cite": "45 Ark. 165", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1892059 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/45/0165-01" ] }, { "cite": "38 Ark. 212", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "37 Ark. 261", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1870930 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/37/0261-01" ] }, { "cite": "34 So. 611", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "So.", "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "137 Ala. 80", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ala.", "case_ids": [ 3481070 ], "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ala/137/0080-01" ] }, { "cite": "33 Ark. 140", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 8722244 ], "weight": 2, "opinion_index": -1, "case_paths": [ "/ark/33/0140-01" ] }, { "cite": "83 Va. 106", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Va.", "case_ids": [ 4371677 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/va/83/0106-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 542, "char_count": 11935, "ocr_confidence": 0.635, "pagerank": { "raw": 1.7325062658552488e-07, "percentile": 0.7057322646996022 }, "sha256": "9ebec6b214594be352782872f60155b50503ca35b61dd7c1c1ffc025e16cafaa", "simhash": "1:ecdebf2e785e8ef3", "word_count": 2064 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T16:10:54.616229+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [], "parties": [ "New v. State." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Wood, J.\nThe appellant was convicted before a justice of the rpeace for a violation of section 1653 of Kirby\u2019s Digest, which provides:\n\u201cIf any parent, guardian, or other person, from any cause, fancied or real, visit any school and insult any teacher in the presence of his pupils, the .person offending by such conduct shall be liable to a fine of twenty-five dollars.\u201d\nThe affidavit for warrant of arresit charges that Joe New and Willie New, in said county of Sebastian, Greenwood District, did, on the 21st day of October, 1909, commit the offense of misdemeanor by then and there unlawfully assaulting, insulting and interrupting the teacher, L. M. Redwine, in the presence of his school at Jenny Rind. The warrant followed substantially the language of the affidavit. The facts are substantially as follows: L. M. Redwine was engaged in teaching a public school at Jenny Lind, Sebastian County, Greenwood District. He received on the 20th of October a very insulting note from appellant\u2019s wife. On the morning of the 21st of October he went to the school house and found appellant\u2019s wife there. She began to abuse him by using, as witnesses expressed it, \u201cvile, profane and abusive language\u201d toward and about him. While this was going on, appellant came up,' wanted to know what all the trouble was about, and, turning to Redwine, said: \u201cWe\u2019ll have it.\u201d Thereupon he advanced upon Redwine, so the latter states, with a drawn knife, and invited him to come out of the school house and settle the difficulty. Redwine replied that he was not in the fighting business, and told appellant that if he did not go away he (Redwine) would have him arrested. To this appellant replied: \u201cI\u2019ll.see you later.\u201d He and his wife then went away. Appellant used profane, abusive and insulting language towards Redwine, and threatened to whip him, and later on did do so.\nDuring the progress of the examination of one of the witnesses on behalf of apipellee, the court asked the following questions : \u201cDid New and Redwine seem to be angry ? Did Red-wine seem to be offended or insulted by the conduct of New?\u201d The -appellant objected to these questions. The court remarked that \u201cthe gist of the offense' is whether Redwine was insulted or not; to insult means to offend or to make angry; you may answer.\u201d Defendant excepted to the answer and the remark of the court. There was no error in the questions propounded by the court nor in the remarks made by the judge. The trial court, in the interest of justice, may, during the examination of a 'witness, ask questions that are calculated to elicit the truth concerning the subject-matter being investigated. It is his duty to do so. He should be careful, however, to so frame any questions that he may desire to ask in a manner not to indicate any opinion entertained by him as to the merits of the controversy. There was nothing in the questions propounded by the presiding judge calculated to prejudice the cause of appellant. On the contrary, .the questions were pertinent to the issue, and were directed to eliciting a fact in the case which tended to show whether or not the conduct of appellant was calculated to and did insult the teacher in the presence of his pupils. In order to constitute the offense, it was necessary for the State to prove that the conduct of appellant was insulting to the teacher, and that this conduct was in the presence of his pupils. The remarks of the court were but tantamount to an instruction, and as such they were not error. Manifestations of anger as the result of opprobious language towards another is evidence that the party to whom the language is addressed has been insulted. \u201cThe term \u2018insult\u2019 necessarily involves malice, which commonly denotes ill-will, or an intention to injure, or to offend, or to wound the feelings of another.\u201d Chaffin v. Lynch, 83 Va. 106.\nThere was no prejudicial error in the court permitting the witnesses to characterize the language used by the appellant on the occasion as \u201cvile, profane and abusive.\u201d Ordinarily, witnesses are not allowed to state their own conclusions as to what the language implies. They must give the language itself, and leave the conclusion to be drawn by the jury, but in this case the gravamen of the crime charged was the conduct of appellant towards the teacher in the presence of his pupils which was calculated to and did insult him and was also .calculated to interrupt and disturb the good order and discipline of his school and to cause the teacher to lose the respect of his pupils. This the law intends to prohibit, not only for the protection of the teacher, but also for the good of the pupils of the school. The uneontradicted evidence shows that the appellant did visit the school, and in the presence of the pupils thereof had a personal controversy with the teacher, and the language that the uncontradioted evidence shows was used was, of itself, sufficient to show the appellant guilty of the offense with which he was charged. The punishment for the offense is a fixed amount, and the particular-words, whether \u201cprofane, vile and abusive\u201d or not, as \u201e expressed by the witnesses, could not have had the effect to increase the punishment. The conduct of the appellant, aside from his language, was sufficient to justify the finding of the jury against him, even if he had not used words which, in their common acceptation, are vile, profane and abusive.\nIt was not error for the court to permit witnesses to testify as to the threats made by the appellant against Redwine, and that he afterwards carried such threats into execution, for this testimony tended to show the disposition of mind of appellant at the .time of the alleged insult.\nThe court did not err in excluding testimony offered on behalf of the appellant as to what was told him by one of the students in reference to- the conduct of the teacher towards appellant\u2019s wife before appellant reached the school bouse, for, under the law, appellant was not warranted in visiting the school to raise a disturbance with the teacher and to insult him in the presence of the pupils for any cause, either- fancied or real.\nWe find no reversible error in the instructions of the court; in their language they conform substantially to -the .requirements of the statute.\nFinding no error, the judgment is affirmed.", "type": "majority", "author": "Wood, J." } ], "attorneys": [ "Thomas B. Pryor, for appellant.", "Hal L,. Norwood, Attorney General, and William H. Rector, Assistant, for appellee." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "New v. State.\nOpinion delivered May 8, 1911.\n1. Trial \u2014 conduct of trial court. \u2014 The trial court may, in the interest of justice, ask questions that are calculated to elicit the truth, but should so frame the questions as not to indicate an opinion as to the merits. (Page 143.)\n2. Schools \u2014 insulting teacher. \u2014 In a prosecution for insulting a teacher at his school in the presence of his pupils, it was not error for the court to ask a witness whether the teacher seemed to be offended or insulted by the conduct of the defendant. (Page 143.)\n3. Same \u2014 insulting teacher- \u2014 instruction.\u2014It was not error, in- a prosecution under Kirby\u2019s Digest, \u00a7 1633, for insulting a teacher in the presence of his pupils, to instruct that to insult means to offend or to -make angry. (Page 145.)\n4. Same \u2014 insulting teacher \u2014 language used. \u2014 Where the- defendant is proved by undisputed evidence to have visited the school and insulted the teacher, it was not prejudicial error to permit a witness to testify that defendant used \u201cvile, profane and abusive\u201d language toward the teacher, since, the punishment for the offense being fixed, the testimony could not have increased the punishment. (Page 146.)\n5. Same \u2014 insulting teacher \u2014 proof op threats. \u2014 In a prosecution for visiting a school and insulting the teacher in the presence of the pupils, it was not error to permit witnesses to'testify as to threats made at the time by defendant against the teacher and that he afterward carried the threats into execution, as such testimony tended to show defendant\u2019s disposition of mind at the time of the alleged insult. (Page 147.)\n6. Same \u2014 insulting teacher \u2014 evidence.\u2014In a prosecution for visiting a school and insulting the teacher in presence of the pupils it was not error to exclude testimony as to what was told defendant by one of the pupils in, reference to the teacher\u2019s conduct towards defendant\u2019s wife before defendant reached the school. (Page 147.)\nAppeal from Sebastian Circuit Court Greenwood District; Daniel Hon, Judge;\naffirmed.\nThomas B. Pryor, for appellant.\n1. \u2022 It is not the part of the trial court to assist the prosecuting attorney in developing a case for the State. The court may with propriety ask such questions as are necessary to make clear and explain any ambiguous, indefinite or uncertain statements made by a witness, but for the court to inject new matter into the examination of a witness, to bring out a new phase or to develop a new theory in the case, is not only improper but also contrary to the spirit and policy of the law. Moreover, the court\u2019s definition of the word \u201cinsult\u201d was incorrect. 22 C3rc. *379-\n2. The court erred in admitting immaterial and incompetent testimony. Statements by witnesses that appellant \u201cused vile, profane and abusive language\u201d and that the appellant \u201cused vile, profane, violent and insulting\u201d language toward the prosecuting witness, were mere conclusions of the witnesses. They should have been required to state the words used. 33 Ark. 140; 137 Ala. 80; 34 So. 611.\n3. It was error to admit in evidence the prosecuting witness\u2019s statement that \u201che threatened to whip me, and later on jumped on me and did so.\u201d Proof of the commission of a different crime from the one charged is not competent to prove .the one charged. 39 Aide. 278; 37 Ark. 261; 38 Ark. 212; 45 Ark. 165-172; 60 Ark. 450; Id. 610; 52 Ark. 309; 72 Ark. 598.\n4. The court erred in excluding testimony to show that the prosecuting witness struck defendant\u2019s wife and twice knocked her down. It was necessary for the jury to know all the facts, and it was appellant\u2019s right to place' before them the true situation as it appeared to him. 33 Ark. 140; 34 Ark. 550; 50 Ark. 25; 48 111. App. 60.\nHal L,. Norwood, Attorney General, and William H. Rector, Assistant, for appellee.\n1. There was no impropriety in the questions asked by the court, nor in his remark after the objection by defendant\u2019s attorney. It is not only within the province of the trial court, but it is his duty, in the interest of justice, to ask such questions as may he necessary to bring before the jury the true facts in the case, so long as his questions are so worded as that they will not indicate an opinion on the merits of the case. The court\u2019s definition of \u201cinsult,\u201d while not full and complete, was substantially correct. 83 Ya,. 106. And the court\u2019s reinarle was not prejudicial. 83 Ark. 98; Id. 179; 82 Ark. 117; 60 Ark. 76; 71 Ark. 63.\n2. The testimony of the witness Redwine and his wife as to the nature of the language used by appellant toward him' was both material and competent. They knew whether or not the language used was insulting, violent or profane, and liad the right to testify to the nature and character of the language used without being required to repeat it. Since appellant has not attempted to show that Redwine\u2019s construction of the language as \u201cviolent, abusive and insulting\u201d is unreasonable, that construction should stand.\n3. Redwine\u2019s testimony with reference to a threat and subsequent assault by appellant was properly admitted, not to prove commission of one offense by proof of the commission of another, but to show the state' of mind of the defendant at the time of the offense charged. 87 Ark. 17.\n4. The court properly excluded testimony on the part of appellant tending to show that Redwine had twice knocked down his, appellant\u2019s, wife. The law is that \u201cif any parent, guardian or other person from any cause, fancied or real, visit any school and insult any teacher in the presence of his pupils, the person offending,\u201d etc. Kirby\u2019s Dig., \u00a7 1653. -" }, "file_name": "0142-01", "first_page_order": 164, "last_page_order": 169 }