Commonwealth v. Bernstine

Apr 22, 1932
Appeal, 188
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Frazer
Per Curiam,

All the members of this court, with the exception of Justice Maxey, ‍​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‍who dissents (and Justice Linn, who did not sit in the argument), are of one mind that the judgment and order of the Superior Court ‍​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‍in this case should be affirmed upon the record and for the reasons set forth in its opinion, reported in 103 Pa. Superior Ct. 518, and ‍​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‍it is accordingly so ordered.

The judgment is affirmed and the record remitted that the sentence of the lower court be complied with.

Justice Maxey dissents on ‍​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‍the ground that the evidence does not justify the conviction of the defendant on the charge of extortion; he also holds that there was prejudicial ‍​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‍error in the latitude allowed the district attorney in cross-examining defendant’s character witnesses.