Crittenden v. Commonwealth
Crittenden v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The instruction given in this case which undertakes to define malice is abstractly wrong, because it tells the jury that under certain circumstances the law implies malice. We have repeatedly held that such instructions are erroneous, as the law never implies malice from any given fact or facts, but its existence is in every instance to be determined by the jury. Under the law of this state it is error to define in an instruction to the jury the term “implied malice.” That belongs to the domain of logic,
In the case under consideration, however, the instruction could not have been prejudicial to appellant, and the error is not, therefore, a reversible one. The court instructed the jury as to the law of self-defense and as to the offense of cutting in sudden heat and passion, and, in substance, said to the jury that in either case the law does not imply malice. These exceptions and reservations preclude the possibility of the instruction in regard to malice being misleading to the jury or prejudicial to the substantial rights of the appellant.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.