People v. Davis
People v. Davis
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was indicted for the murder of one Thompson and convicted of murder in the second degree.
1. The first point presented on the appeal is that the Court erred in not allowing a challenge to the panel of the trial jury upon the ground that a jury was not drawn as required by law. The point is answered by Section 226 of the Code of Civil Procedure, whereby it is provided that whenever jurors are not drawn and summoned to attend any court of record the Court may, in its discretion, by an order entered on its minutes, direct the Sheriff of the county forthwith to summon so many good and lawful men of his county to serve as jurors as the case may require.
2. In the progress of the trial a witness for the people stated that he saw the defendant sitting on the porch of his hotel at the time of the funeral of Thompson, and was then asked by the District Attorney how near the funeral procession passed to the place where the defendant was sitting. The question was objected to on the ground that it was immaterial, and the objection was overruled. It may be admitted that the information sought by the question was immaterial, still it is quite impossible to see how the defendant was prejudiced by it.
3. A witness for the defense testified that some fifteen months before the homicide, Thompson asked the Avitness to go with him and help tear down the defendant’s fence; that the Avitness declined to do so, and thereupon Thompson made certain threats against the defendant, which the Avitness communicated to him some five or six days thereafter. The witness Avas then asked: “Do you know as a fact Avhether defendant’s fence Avas torn down that night or not?” The question was objected to and excluded by the Court, and we see no error in this ruling.
4. The sixth instruction asked by the defendant and refused by the Court was substantially given in the charge of the Court. The jury was told that every witness who had
The ninth instruction was abstract and was properly refused because not applicable to the case. It was wholly unimportant that the jury be told that the defendant had the right to regain possession of a horse which had been wrongfully taken from his possession, “if it could be done without violence and without trespassing on the premises of the deceased.”
The twelfth instruction the Court gave as requested, with an addition that in no respect changed or modified the sense of what preceded, but' only stated a further principle germane to the point of the instruction asked and given. In this there was no error. (People v. Dodge, 30 Cal. 448.)
■ On the whole we see no error in the case prejudicial to the defendant, and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. GEORGE K. DAVIS
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Syllabus
- Jubobs fob a Teem.—If jurors are not drawn and summoned to attend the term of a District Court, the Court may forthwith, by an order, direct the sheriff to summon one. Immatebiad Evidence.—Although the information sought by a question put to a witness by the prosecution in a criminal case, may be immaterial, yet, if the defendant is not prejudiced by it, the judgment will not be disturbed. Evidence in Cbiminad Case.—If, on a trial for murder, a witness for the defense testifies that before the killing, deceased asked him to go with deceased and help tear down the defendant’s fence, on a certain night, and made threats against the defendant, it is not error for the Court to refuse to allow the witness to state whether the fence was torn down that night. Ebbob in Refusing- Instbuchon.—It is not error for the Court to refuse to give an instruction to the jury, asked by a party, if the instruction has already been given, substantially. Idem.—It is not error in a criminal ease for the Com.'t to refuse to give an abstract instruction, which is not applicable to the case. Idem.—It is not error for the Court, in a criminal case, to give an instruction requested by the defendant, with an addition to it, which does not change or modify the sense, but states a further principle germane to the point of the instruction.