Lester v. State

Jul 2, 1906
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Cobb
Cobb, P. J.

The evidence for the State authorized a verdict ‍​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍for murder. The accused introduced no evidence, but his statement,, if credible, authorized an acquittal. There was no ‍​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍view of the evidence or statement of the accused under which a verdict for voluntary manslaughter could be ‍​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍legally rendered. A new trial should have been granted upon the ground that the verdict finding the accused ‍​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍guilty of voluntary-manslaughter was contrary to the evidence. Herrington v. State, ante, 745, and cit.

Judgment reversed.

All the Justices concur, except Fish, G. ‍​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‍J., absent. Lewis C. Bussell, for plaintiff in error. 8. J. Tribble, solicitor-general, contra.