Webb v. State

George Rose Smith, Justice.

The appellant, charged with the crime of robbery, was tried by the court without a jury, was found guilty, and was sentenced to imprisonment for 15 years. He relies upon two points for reversal.

First, at the beginning of the trial the deputy prosecutor, Frank Newell, stated to the court that the prosecuting witness, Paul R. Pierce, whose testimony was essential to the State’s case, was unable to come to court. Newell explained that he had talked to Pierce earlier that morning. Pierce had said that, as a consequence of the beating to which he had been subjected in…