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Commonwealth v. CallahanCommonwealth v. Callahan

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nov 15, 1871
Reporters:
Before:
Ames
Ames, J.

A confession by a party charged with a crime ia ‍‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‍competent evidence against him, unless it was improperly obtained. It does not appear that in the case of this defendant any ‍‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‍promise was made to him, or anything said or done to operate upon his fears, beyond the simple fact of his ‍‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‍arrest. In answer to his inquiry what he had better do, the witness declined to give him any advice, but ‍‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‍left him wholly to his own judgment. The alleged confession was therefore competent. It was for the jury to judge of ‍‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‍its weight and effect under all the circumstances. See Commonwealth v. Cuffee, ante, 285. Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Callahan
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Nov 15, 1871
Citation: 108 Mass. 421
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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