Opinion

Johnson v. State

  • 57 Ala. App. 238
  • 327 So. 2d 733
  • 1975 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1263
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
Filed
Dec 9, 1975
Status
Published
Author
Cates
On the bench
Bowen W. Simmons
Cited by
4 cases
Authority
More cited than 8.3%

The opinion

CATES, Presiding Judge

(concurring specially):

The common law expression of putting in fear does not require a chilling fright to run through the victim’s veins and thus produce a consciousness of violent duress.

* * * And when it is laid to be done by putting in fear, this does not imply any great degree of terror or affright in the party robbed: it is enough *240 that so much force, or threatening byword or gesture, be used, as might create an apprehension of danger, or induce a man to part with his property without or against his consent. Thus, if a man be knocked down without previous warning, and stripped of his property while senseless, though strictly he cannot be said to be put in fear, yet this is undoubtedly a robbery. Or, if a person with a sword drawn begs an alms, and I give it him through mistrust and apprehension of violence, this is a felonious robbery.

—Blackstone, iv Com. 243

I would not make the subjective feeling of the victim a sine qua non of putting in fear. 1 Rather, a presented firearm with a demand for money suffices to let a case go to a jury.

TYSON, HARRIS, DeCARLO and BOOKOUT, JJ., join in this concurrence.

. See: Gross v. State, 1975, 56 Ala.App. 709 , 325 So.2d 216 ; Brown v. State, 48 Ala.App. 456 , 265 So.2d 898 (1972).

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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