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Morrissette v. StateMorrissette v. State

Alabama Court of Appeals
Apr 17, 1917
2 Div. 166.
Reporters:
, , ,
Before:
Brown
BROWN, P. J.

[1, 2] Charge 1 refused to the defendant ignores the burden resting upon bim, essential to bis right to plead ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‍self-defense, to show that be was in impending peril of life or limb at tbe time be fired on Givan witb a deadly weapon. It also assumes that Givan, after defendant’s withdrawal in good faith, pursued him, or renewed the ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‍difficulty and became the assailant. Brewer v. State, 160 Ala. 66, 49 South. 336.

[3, 4] Charge 2, as worded, has a tendency to mislead to the conclusion that the court entertained the view that Givan assaulted or threatened to assault defendant. It was ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‍subject to tbe further objection that it predicated the right of self-defense on a “threatened assault made by bim,” leaving out of consideration the presence of an overt act or attempt to carry into effect such “threatened assault,” thereby producing ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‍impending peril, real or apparent, to tlie defendant’s life or limb.

[5, 6] There was no exception to tbe oral charge of the court, and no objection to the verdict of tbe jury or tbe action of the court in sentencing the ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‍defendant, and hence nothing to review. McPherson v. State (Sup.) 198 Ala. 5, 73 South. 387; Woodson v. State, 170 Ala. 87, 54 South. 191.

Affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Morrissette v. State
Court Name: Alabama Court of Appeals
Date Published: Apr 17, 1917
Citations: 75 So. 176; 75 So. 177; 16 Ala. App. 32; 1917 Ala. App. LEXIS 104; 2 Div. 166.
Docket Number: 2 Div. 166.
Court Abbreviation: Ala. Ct. App.
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