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People v. RobinsonPeople v. Robinson

California Supreme Court
Jul 1, 1861
Reporters:
Before:
Cope
Cope, J. delivered the opinion of the Court

Field, C. J. concurring.

The ‍​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍bill of exceptions in this case states that certain words uttered by the defendant while sleeping were given in evidence ‍​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍against him at the trial. It is difficult to see upon what principle this evidence was admitted, and we are ‍​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍of opinion that the objection to it should have been sustained. If the defendant was asleep, the inference is that ‍​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍he was not conscious of what he was saying, and words spoken by him in that condition constituted no evidence ‍​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍of guilt.

Judgment reversed and cause remanded for a new trial.

Case Details

Case Name: People v. Robinson
Court Name: California Supreme Court
Date Published: Jul 1, 1861
Citation: 19 Cal. 40
Court Abbreviation: Cal.
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