People v. Palmer

63 N.W. 656, 105 Mich. 568, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 894
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 63 N.W. 656 (People v. Palmer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Palmer, 63 N.W. 656, 105 Mich. 568, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 894 (Mich. 1895).

Opinions

Grant, J.

For a statement of the issue in this case, we refer to 96 Mich. 580, where a brief statement of the case will be found. On the second trial the respondent was again convicted of murder in the second degree.

1. A witness by the name of Adette 'was also a witness for the people on the former trial. Upon the redirect examination of the witness, counsel for the people, for the sole purpose of refreshing the witness’ recollection, called his attention to his testimony upon the former trial. This was permitted under, objection and exception, and is now alleged as error. This practice is too thoroughly established to now be doubted. Beaubien v. Cicotte, 12 Mich. 459; McCreery v. Green, 38 Id. 186, and authorities.there cited; Battishill v. Humphreys, 64 Id. 518. Respondent’s counsel rely on Bashford v. People, 24 Mich. 247. That opinion, we think, recognizes the rule, but was based upon the fact that no occasion was shown, for refreshing the witness’ memory. In this case there was.

2. Error is next alleged upon the misconduct of the; [572]*572prosecuting attorney in interrogating the respondent’s witnesses upon the cross-examination. All the questions which were incompetent were promptly overruled by the circuit judge. One of the questions was as follows, asked' of the respondent himself:

“Then I understand you, if you were walking along with a gun, and you incidentally saw a revolver discharged in your direction, that you would take your gun, and cock it, and fire right into the crowd?”

One Ruby, a witness for the respondent, testified that the deceased, Albert Palmer, had tried to hire the witness to kill William, the respondent. The story was such as to render a very rigid cross-examination of the witness’ life and character competent. He admitted that he married his wife from a house of prostitution, and the question was then asked,. “Was .she a prostitute?” One other question of a similar character was asked, and both excluded. There was nothing to show that the questions were not asked in good faith, and we do not think they were of such a character as to justify the holding that they prejudiced the jury.

3. It is alleged as error that the court refused to give the following specific request on behalf of the respondent:

“In determining which of the brothers was the aggressor, you may also take into consideration the testimony tending to show that, on the date of the tragedy, Albert was under the influence of liquor, and that, when under the influence of liquor, he was ugly and nervous and of quick temper, and that the defendant, up to the instant of the shooting, was in his usual frame of mind, pleasant and good-natured.”

The charge is so full and complete, covering every possible ground of defense, that we do not think it was error to refuse this request. Besides, this request was rather in the nature of an argument based upon a portion of the testimony in the case. Undoubtedly, this question was fully argued by counsel to the jury. Such argumentative requests are of doubtful propriety. Peo [573]*573ple v. Crawford, 48 Mich. 498. But, aside from this, the court specifically called the jury’s attention to the acts, conduct, and threats of the deceased, the facts and circumstances surrounding the killing, and their relations prior thereto, and instructed the jury that they were all for their consideration.

4. In the opening part of his charge, the judge defined the different degrees of murder and also manslaughter. He said that, where a crime is divided into degrees, the jury may acquit of the principal charge, and find the prisoner guilty of the lesser offense; and that, when one is so charged, the jury should first consider the matter of the higher crime, and then go through the different degrees. After some further explanations, he withdrew from their consideration the subject of murder in the first degree, since he had been acquitted of that charge on a former trial. It is insisted that the charge is misleading and prejudicial because he first defined murder in the first degree, and instructed them that they should commence with the higher crime. A juror who could be thus misled or prejudiced would not possess intelligence sufficient to justify his sitting as a juror in any case.

5. It is next argued that the court erred in giving, the following instruction:

“Now, if, after he entered the saloon, he became aware that his brother Albert was there, and he then formed the intent to take hs brother Albert’s life, taking into account whatever may have been in his mind as to their past relations, their quarrels, or anything that he may have heard about Albert having a pistol, and if he became aware that Albert was in the back part of the saloon, surrounded by his friends, if he then, even though hilt a moment before he fired the fatal shot, formed in his mind the purpose of talcing his brother’s life, and pursuant to that purpose he shot and Icilled him, that would constir' tute the crime of murder.”

The precise point urged is that there was no evidence to support such a theory, and that neither the prosecu[574]*574lion nor tbe defense conducted the trial with reference to it. We cannot tell what the argument was to the jury. If there is any testimony upon which to base the charge of the court, the charge must be sustained. The respondent claimed that he had no murderous intent at any time. There was evidence that, when he entered the saloon, he appeared in his usual manner, and there was evidence that, when he raised the gun, his countenance changed. Whether this was because he saw his brother, or saw the pistol pointed at him, and whether it was necessary for him then to shoot in self-defense, were all questions for the jury, and made competent the charge complained of, which was given in connection with instructions covering the respondent’s theories. The entire instructions covering this point were as follows:

“Now, if, after carefully considering all the evidence in the case introduced upon both sides, and after carefully considering all the facts and circumstances surrounding the tragedy, and the relations of the accused and the deceased prior to the tragedy, and taking into account previously uttered threats, if any there were by either, and taking into consideration any quarrels that may have been between the brothers, if any, and also taking into account whether the parties became reconciled and were friends before this fatal day, and whether they were friends, then, I say, taking into consideration all of those facts and circumstances, it would be a subject for the jury to inquire into as to tlm intent with which this act was done, — whether it was an act committed in malice, whether it was an act committed in passion, or whether it was an act committed under the impulse of fear; and if, after a careful examination of all those facts that X have called your attention to, if each juror, looking inito his conscience, could say that he has an abiding conviction, to a moral certainty, of the defendant’s guilt, it would be his duty to convict, because that would be proving the ease by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, as defined by the law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 N.W. 656, 105 Mich. 568, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 894, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-palmer-mich-1895.