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People v. DavidPeople v. David

Court Of Oyer And Terminer New York
Jan 15, 1849
Reporters:
The Judge

charged the jury that the main question was, whether the offense was murder or ‍‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‍manslaughter in the second degree. Murder was effecting death with intention to kill. Manslaughter in the second degree was effecting death in a cruel and unusual manner, without an intention ‍‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‍to kill.

The only facts in the case from which the jury might infer an intention to Mil, was the returning to the deceased after he was prostrate, and then perpetrating ‍‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‍the violence, and Ms having twice said he hoped he had killed Mm, but whether that was merely the ebullition of a drunken man in Ms passion, or the ‍‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‍utterance of a premeditated design to effect death, was for the jury to consider, but it would not do for the jury to convict for murder unless they were clearly ‍‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‍satisfied there was such premeditated design.

The verdict was, guilty of manslaughter in the second degree.

Case Details

Case Name: People v. David
Court Name: Court Of Oyer And Terminer New York
Date Published: Jan 15, 1849
Citation: 2 Edm. Sel. Cas. 52
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