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Maconnehey v. StateMaconnehey v. State

Ohio Supreme Court
Dec 15, 1855
Reporters:
Before:
Bartley
Bartley, J.

While drunkenness creates no exemption from *78criminal responsibility, and may even ‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‍exaggerate the turpitude of guilt in some cases, delirium tremens, although the result or consequence of continued intoxication, is insanity, or a diseased state of the mind, which ‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‍affects responsibility for crime in the same way as insanity produced from any other cause.

The reason that intoxication creates no exemption from ‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‍criminal responsibility, does not apply to delirium tremens, which, although like many other kinds of mania, the result of prior vicious indulgence, is ‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‍always shunned rather than courted by the patient, and is not voluntarily assumed, either as a cloak for guilt, or to nerve ‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‍the perpetrator to the commission of crime.

Judgment reversed, and cause remanded.

Case Details

Case Name: Maconnehey v. State
Court Name: Ohio Supreme Court
Date Published: Dec 15, 1855
Citation: 5 Ohio St. 77
Court Abbreviation: Ohio
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