Humbree v. State

Dec 15, 1886
Reporters:
Before:
Clopton
CLOPTON, J.

— The only exception raised by the record is the refusal ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‍of the court to instruct the jury, at the instance of defendant, that if there is any doubt whether the offense .was committed within ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‍twelve months before the commencement of tlie prosecution, they must acquit. A doubt which demands an acquittal must be a reasonable doubt, ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‍actual and substantial, arising from the insufficiency of the evidence to produce an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge. A ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‍possible or speculative doubt is not sufficient. The charge is misleading by reason of failing to distinguish the degrees of doubt, and ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‍was properly refused. Farrish v. State, 68 Ala. 164; McKleroy v. State, 77 Ala. 95.

Affirmed.