Finch

By indictment James Thiele, a Long Beach police officer, was accused in count I of having accepted a bribe of $3,000 in 1957. In counts III, VI, VII, VIII and IX, both Thiele and Harry Finch, who was also a police officer of Long Beach, were accused of soliciting one Henry, also a police officer, to accept and join in the acceptance of a bribe and join in the commission of extortion; in counts IV and V, both defendants were accused of soliciting one Jordan, another police officer, to accept and join in the acceptance of a bribe and join in the commission of extortion. In count X, they were accused of conspiracy to ask for and receive and agree to receive bribes and extort money from one Garland and to solicit Jordan and Henry to ask for, receive and agree to receive bribes and extort money from Garland.

In a jury trial Thiele was acquitted upon count I, both defendants were acquitted upon counts II, III and IV and both were convicted upon counts V to X, inclusive. Their motions for a new trial were denied, and both defendants appeal from the judgment and the order denying their motion.

The grounds of appeal are (1) it was error to develop in the cross-examination of a witness…