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Commonwealth v. KennonCommonwealth v. Kennon

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nov 4, 1880
Reporters:
,
By the Court.

The purpose for which the excluded evidence was offered, ‍​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‍as appears by the bill of exceptions, and as has been assumed in the argument for the defendants, was not to ‍​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‍prove insanity, but to prove a lying habit of mind or a propensity to lie; the evidence offered was only that the ‍​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‍witness had lied on other occasions, which would present collateral issues, and was not competent as independent evidence; and it does ‍​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‍not appear that it was offered by way of cross-examination of the witness, nor, if it was, that the defendant sought ‍​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‍to have it admitted in the discretion of the judge.

Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Kennon
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Nov 4, 1880
Citations: 130 Mass. 39; 1880 Mass. LEXIS 323
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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