Brantley v. State

Jan 27, 1909
1515
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Powell
Powell, J.

1. The defendant, if not justifiable on the theory that he-’ ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‍killed under the reasonable fear that a felony was about to be committed on him, was guilty of murder. No .phase of ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‍the testimony indicates voluntary manslaughter; hence the verdict convicting the defendant of’ that offense is unauthorized.

2. While words, threats, menaces, and contemptuous ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‍gestures on the part, of the deceased may create such an apparent danger as to justify a homicide, they are not, unless ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‍they amount to an assault, effectual to mitigate it from murder into manslaughter. Holland v. State, 3 Ga. App. 466 (60 S. E. 205) ; Cumming v. State, 99 Ga. 662 (27 S. E. ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‍177); Johnson v. State, 105 Ga. 665 (31 S. E. 399) ; Clay v. State, 124 Ga. 795 (53 S. E. 179). Judgment reversed.