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People v. McDonaldPeople v. McDonald

California Supreme Court
Jul 1, 1870
No. 2,493
Reporters:
,
Before:
Rhodes
Rhodes, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court:

On cross-examination of ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍the defendant, who was sworn as a witness in his own behalf, the District Attorney asked the following question ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍: “Were you not convicted and sentenced to the County Jail, for an assault on a girl about ten ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍years of *698age?” to which question the defendant’s counsel objected, on the ground that the testimony of the witness ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍was not the best evidence of the conviction. The objection was overruled. The Court erred in overruling the objection. (People v. Reinhart, 39 ‍‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍Cal. 449.)

Judgment reversed, and cause remanded for a new trial.

Case Details

Case Name: People v. McDonald
Court Name: California Supreme Court
Date Published: Jul 1, 1870
Citations: 39 Cal. 697; 1870 Cal. LEXIS 139; No. 2,493
Docket Number: No. 2,493
Court Abbreviation: Cal.
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