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Dorsey v. StateDorsey v. State

Supreme Court of Alabama
Nov 15, 1895
Reporters:
Before:
McClellan
McCLELLAN, J.

The testimony offered by the defendant to the effect that after ‍​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍he heard that a police officer had been to his house to arrest him, he went down to police headquarters to inquire about ‍​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍it, was properly excluded.—Jordan v. State, 81 Ala. 20.

The charge requested by the defendant was properly refused. It is in one part argumentative. It does not expressly ‍​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍refer to the defendant’s good character. It assumes that evidence of the good character of a defendant necessarily tends to show innocence. And it gives undue ‍​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍prominence to the evidence on the subject of character. Webb State, 106 Ala. 52, and cases there cited.

The testimony offered as to the wages defendant ‍​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‍was receiving at the time of the alleged larceny was palpably irrelevant.

Affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Dorsey v. State
Court Name: Supreme Court of Alabama
Date Published: Nov 15, 1895
Citation: 110 Ala. 38
Court Abbreviation: Ala.
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