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Gadsden v. StateGadsden v. State

Supreme Court of Georgia
Jul 13, 1910
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Lumpkin
Lumpkin, J.

1. Where the evidence as a whole presented not only ‍​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‍the theories of murder, or accidental killing with no evil design or intention or culpable neglect, but also of involuntary manslaughter in ‍​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‍the commission of a lawful act without due caution and circumspection, it was error to charge the jury that involuntary manslaughter ‍​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‍had nothing to do with the case, and to confine their consideration to the first two theories.

2. If an involuntary killing ‍​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‍happens in the commission of an unlawful act which, in its consequences, naturally tends to destroy the life of a human being, ‍​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‍the offense is murder. Penal Code, § 67.

Judgment reversed.

All the Justices concur.

Case Details

Case Name: Gadsden v. State
Court Name: Supreme Court of Georgia
Date Published: Jul 13, 1910
Citations: 134 Ga. 785; 68 S.E. 497; 1910 Ga. LEXIS 350
Court Abbreviation: Ga.
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