People v. McSweeney
People v. McSweeney
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to imprisonment for life in the state prison, and appeals from the judgment, and from an order denying his motion for a new trial.
The only question presented for decision is whether or not the trial court erred in sustaining the objections of the district attorney to certain questions asked ,John McFee, a witness for defendant, on his re-examination by defendant’s attorney. The record does not show what questions were asked by defendant’s attorney on the direct examination, but shows that the witness testified that he was acquainted with the defendant; that he had known defendant for the last four or five years at Holcomb Valley, in San Bernardino county, where the homicide occurred; and that defendant’s “general reputation during the past four years, in the vicinity where he has resided, for peace and quietude, has been fair.” Upon cross-examination as to his means of knowledge of defendant’s character, he said he had not resided at Holcomb Valley prior to the homicide, but resided six or seven miles from there, and went up there only occasionally, and was “somewhat acquainted with the reputation of McSweeney in Holcomb Valley,” but that he did not remember whether he had heard defendant’s “reputation for peace and quietude discussed in Holcomb Valley at all prior to the shooting.”
The only remaining question is whether it was error to exclude an answer to the question: “Well, what have you ■heard—that is, what have you heard said against the character of the defendant ? ” As the only answer called for by this question was what the witness had heard said against the character of the defendant, it is difficult to conceive how the defendant could have been benefited by the answer or injured by its exclusion, since the witness had already answered, in
We concur: Searls, C.; Haynes, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment and order appealed from are affirmed.
We concur: De Haven, J.; Van Fleet, J.
We concur in the judgment. We think that some of the questions asked the witness McFee which were ruled out should have been allowed, but think that, taking the examination of that witness as a whole, appellant was not prejudiced thereby.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PEOPLE v. McSWEENEY
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Homicide—Character of Defendant.—Where the Question as to what the witness in a murder ease had heard against the defendant was not limited to a period prior to the homicide, it was properly ruled out.1 Homicide—Character of Defendant.—Where a Witness in a Murder case on Ms direct examination did not testify that he knew the defendant’s reputation at any time, and on cross-examination his testimony tended to show that his knowledge of such reputation prior to the homicide-was insufficient to qualify him to testify regarding it, it was not error to refuse to allow him to further testify on the subject on his redirect examination.