Gordon v. State

49 So. 609, 95 Miss. 543
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 15, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 49 So. 609 (Gordon v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gordon v. State, 49 So. 609, 95 Miss. 543 (Mich. 1909).

Opinion

Whitfield, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The fifth instruction for the state- is fatally erroneous. It is a charge upon the weight of evidence. It selects and magnifies certain fragmentary ’ portions of the evidence. It attempts to put the facts constituting the theory of the- state, but fails to put them all, and it charges the jury that they may find the defendant guilty if they believe so and so- — doe's not state that they should believe beyond a reasonable- doubt, but that particular defect is cured by the instructions for the defendant. But, worse than this, it charges that they may find the defendant guilty if they simply believe so and so. They are not required to believe from the evidence. It is impossible to affirm this case, which is an exceedingly close one on its facts, in the face of an instruction so grossly erroneous.

Reversed and remanded.

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Related

Meaut v. Langlinais
126 So. 2d 866 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1961)
Hatcher v. State
50 So. 2d 387 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1951)
Nelson v. State
92 So. 66 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1922)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
49 So. 609, 95 Miss. 543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gordon-v-state-miss-1909.